DroneBlocks users have had a lot to be excited about, with two new major drone product launches just this year; the Crazyflie and the DEXI. Our team wholeheartedly believes these Drones are each the “best in class” in their respective applications and have surpassed any comparison in the STEM Drone arena. Our promise is that you will not find hardware that is more cutting edge, nor curriculum and resources that are better designed than here at DroneBlocks… and a more passionate team? – cannot be found. The real question is, which Drone Level is right for you and your students? Join us as we review the strengths and specialties of our Crazyflie Autonomous Drones Level II & DEXI Autonomous Drones Level III drone kits. Check out the table below for a quick breakdown of the key differences.

The gist on the Crazyflie (Autonomous Drones – Level II):

The Crazyflie is a great Drone for all levels and the perfect introduction to drones and coding. The Crazyflie drones are the perfect replacement and alternative for the now-discontinued DJI Tello drones. Middle and high school students will benefit the most from Crazyflie, as it has a quick learning curve thanks to its small, simple design and ability to be programmed with DroneBlocks’ drag-and-drop block-coding app. The Crazyflie only weighs 27 grams – or about as much as a slice of bread – and fits in the palm of your hand. However its small size doesn’t compromise durability – this micro-drone is built sleek enough and with minimal components so that it withstands most crash landings. It won’t, however, withstand strong winds…which is why we recommend using the Crazyflie inside the classroom. Its micro size allows for multiple drones to be up in the air at a time in a relatively small space which encourages small group sizes and more hands-on time for students. What we love most about the Crazyflie is that it will turn Beginner Programmers into Intermediate Programmers via a smooth transition from Block-Coding to Python, thanks in part to our accompanying curriculum and simulator. Lastly, the Crazyflie is manufactured by Swedish Drone Company Bitcraze and is Section 889 Compliant.

The gist on the DEXI (Autonomous Drones – Level III):

The DEXI, or Drone for Exploration and Innovation, is the premiere Drone for Intermediate to Advanced High School or College students. The students who will benefit the most from the DEXI are versed in either engineering, programming, or piloting. An advantage of the DEXI is that it blends these three skill areas and builds each simultaneously, allowing students to pursue further investigation into their choice of interest with DEXI as the conduit. The DEXI is about the size of a dinner plate and boasts a super robust and durable build. It weighs about 550 grams and even has a payload capacity of up to a half-pound. Students will construct this Drone completely from scratch, gaining valuable insights into aerodynamics, mechanics, and electronics. Students will thus have a full understanding of each screw, joint, and motor in the rare chance this drone ever needs repair. The DEXI can be flown indoors and outdoors and has a flight time of about 18 minutes on one battery. The DEXI is also the most innovative research and development drone on the market to date. With an all-in-one flight controller running PX4 Auto-Pilot that integrates optical flow sensing – your students will be working at the same level as the professional drone development community. Students will fly DEXI autonomously by coding via Python and ROS or can fly manually with a transmitter to master their piloting skills. The DEXI has an on-board PI camera that can be used abundantly for computing tasks using Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and more. The DEXI also allows for several GPIO access points, which is a pandora’s box for connecting further components such as sensors, lights, and servos. What we love most about the DEXI is its crossover of skill building and the ability for students to dive down the rabbit hole of their choice while pioneering at the cutting edge aside professionals in the industry. Lastly, the DEXI electronics are manufactured in the USA, is NDAA compliant, and was custom designed by the DroneBlocks team and its trusted partners.

Want to explore further? Visit our website’s product pages to learn more about our Level II and Level III Drone bundles, or contact us to find the best fit for your aspiring pilots and innovators.