What a conference! We are slowly coming down from our post-EduDrone, drone-induced high. Our first-ever online conference and also the world’s first ever online drone conference.
via GIPHY
We learned so much from our 40 speakers. The range of backrounds and diversity in the way they use drones was truly incredible. Even among our speakers with the same job titles – all of our lovely teachers, for instance, there was so little overlap. Everyone had a new insight to share about the use of drones.
There were some common threads that we found during the conference. We’ve detailed some of them below and we’re feeling truly chuffed that we struggled a lot to narrow this list down!
If you still want to watch the talks, and didn’t sign up then it isn’t too late to watch the replays! Go to education.shemaps.com/EduDrone to sign up.
Future thinking with STEM
The global workforce is changing rapidly and employees are looking for work that allows them to live their life the way they choose. This often involves working remotely and with flexible hours. As proponents of STEM, we need to get rid of this lab coat wearing, clipboard toting image of people who work in this field. Hearing from Lieutenant Colonel Jasmin Diab was refreshing. Her take on the future of STEM is in line with what young people will be looking for, in terms of that work/life balance. Jasmin studied nuclear physics and explosive chemistry before going onto become an Australian Army Engineer and is the Vice President for Women in Nuclear Australia. She is also a shoe designer in her spare time – a venture that is done for love rather than money. We think it makes her very well-qualified to shake things up a little in the world of STEM. Here are a few of the careers that are going to be essential in the future that also encapsulates flexibility in work style:- Data scientist Machine learning, AI and automation all rely on data, which only good data scientists will be able to understand. Data is generally held in the cloud = flexible work location.
- Software engineers We don’t believe that the robots are going to take over but we do believe that it won’t be long before machines take over menial tasks. And they need software engineers to build them. The thing about menial tasks — they’re everywhere. In every industry. This means that young people in this field can potentially work with an interest of theirs — cars, health, consumer tech… and shoes, of course…
- Design and 3D printing What you put on your feet will also have science applied to it. The ability to measure a person’s body as a 3D prototype means that clothes will be able to be custom-made to a person. You truly wear the outfit instead of the outfit wearing you. The design and printing in this industry will require STEM skills.
- Drones Augmented reality and drones are becoming very cozy these days. This has potential in a lot of industries, but we were particularly interested in what it means for disaster relief because it relates to some of our other speakers (details below). This video shows drones and AR in action and what that could look like for disaster relief: