Bringing the real world into physics: drones, power grids and factories

Students often ask: "When will I ever use this?" The best answer is to show them. Africa is building new power plants, factories, railways and digital services, and all of them run on physics.

Drones

Drones survey farms, inspect power lines and deliver medical supplies in several African countries. In the UAV Piloting simulator, students fly multirotor and fixed-wing drones while reading battery level, wind and air pressure. Each reading links to a physics topic: energy, forces and fluids.

Power grids

Geothermal, hydro and solar plants feed national grids. Students can explore circuits, transformers and magnetic materials in the Electrodynamics, Faraday and Hysteresis labs, then discuss how electricity travels from a power plant to their home.

Factories and automation

Robot arms on assembly lines combine mechanics, electronics and code. The Robot design lab lets students build and program a robot, then test it on a course.

Lesson idea: the power cut

Ask: "What happens to a factory when a transmission line trips?" Students use circuit labs to model a simple network, break one link and record the effect. They then propose solutions, such as backup batteries or rooftop solar.

Careers to mention

• electrical technician and solar installer;
• drone pilot and surveyor;
• mechatronics technician;
• civil and production engineer.

Students who see these links are more likely to choose science subjects and STEM pathways later.

Explore the labs and sign up free to try the UAV simulator.