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UAV Engineering Bootcamp 2026 at Kyiv Aviation Institute

A 9-day summer practical course where we don’t just ‘assemble drones’, but delve into the physics behind each system.

You will work in teams on real-world projects under the guidance of experts from leading partner companies: SkyFall, Athlon Avia, NDA Recruitment, LAB418, Vyriy Drone.

WHEN

29.06 – 07.07.2026

FORMAT

Offline

Participants

60 (UA) + 7 (DK)

LEARNING APPROACH

We stand for challenge-based learning.

Every day is structured around handy tasks.

You don’t sit through long lectures; instead, you tackle real-world problems. By solving them, you come up with the theoretical knowledge, which is concise and immediately applicable.

EXAMPLES OF ENGINEERING TASKS

  • Adjust the stabilisation settings so that the drone does not start to oscillate.
    Explain why it starts to ‘wobble’ under certain settings.

  • Collect data from the IMU and GPS, compare them, and understand why they do not match.
    Make the position estimate more stable.

  • Select a propeller-motor assembly to suit the specified weight.
    Test the thrust on a test bench and estimate the flight time.

  • Identify the cause of system instability following integration.
    Distinguish between hardware issues and algorithmic issues.

The role of teachers/mentors in the summer school programme is to demonstrate a way of thinking and help co-create solutions, rather than simply ‘going through the material’.

PROGRAME TRACKS 

  1. Design and Manufacturing (Airframe / Manufacturing)
    CAD, aerodynamics, structural integrity, composites, sandwich panels, vibrations, balancing, manufacturing (laser, CNC)

  2. Propulsion / Power
    Motor-propeller groups, propellers, thrust, thrust-to-weight ratio, ESCs, batteries (LiPo), power consumption, onboard power supply, thrust stand, efficiency, thermal management, flight time

  3. Avionics & Flight Control Systems 
    ArduPilot, PX4, Betaflight, Mission Planner, QGroundControl, PID tuning, telemetry, IMU, sensor calibration, stabilization, oscillations, Blackbox, logging, flight dynamics modeling

  4. State Estimation & Navigation

    GPS, IMU, Kalman filter, sensor fusion, error, drift, position estimation, localization, waypoints, missions, fail-safe logic, Return-to-Launch (RTL)

  5. Communications
    – MAVLink, telemetry, UART, I2C, SPI, ExpressLRS (ELRS), RF links, RF hardware setup, link parameters, latency, packet loss, RSSI, noise immunity
    – Radio wave propagation, radiation patterns, gain, antenna types (omnidirectional, directional, log-periodic), ground and onboard antennas
    – SWR (Standing Wave Ratio), VNA, Fresnel zones, RF field measurements, signal penetration through obstacles, environmental impact
    – Mesh networks, relaying, network topologies, communication coverage and scalability
  6. Integration / Testing
    flight testing, telemetry, logging, fault analysis, system integration

THIS IS WHAT THE BOOTCAMP LOOKS LIKE FROM THE INSIDE:

WHO IS IT FOR?

– We invite Bachelor’s and Master’s students from Danish technical universities as participants
– We invite PhDs and professors from Danish technical universities as mentors and teachers

In addition to student participation, we invite professors to join the Bootcamp in person and contribute by delivering lectures within the existing tracks or proposing their own topics aligned with the programme.

The Bootcamp also creates space for networking and exchange with Ukrainian researchers, industry partners, and students, with potential for future academic collaboration and partnerships.

 

This is NOT a beginner’s course on unmanned aerial vehicles and systems.

If you’re looking to do more than just ‘assemble and fly a drone’, but really want to understand why it flies (or doesn’t fly) — apply now.

STAGES OF APPLICATION AND THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR NON-UKRAINIAN PARTICIPANTS

  1. Complete Registration Form I. By 5 May
  2. Take the entrance test, which will be sent to your email. By 10 May
  3. If the previous stages are successful, we will send you an extended Registration Form II for participation in the summer school, including this year’s detailed programme. By 20 May
  4. Apply for tuition fee compenstation. By 15 May
  5. Online component (3 hours per week). 8–26 June.
    In-person component (9 days from 9:00 to 18:00). 29 June–7 July

PRICE AND TERMS

🇺🇦 🇩🇰 In 2026, the Bootcamp expands beyond Ukraine, offering a special invitation exclusively for students and PhD from Danish technical universities.

Stage 1 (registration and entrance assessment): free of charge

Stage 2 (online and in-person in June and July): €80  

The price includes: the course programme, two meals a day for 9 days, consumables for laboratory work. Travel and accommodation to Kyiv are at the participants’ own expense.

Not included:

  • Travel to/from Kyiv (your expense, ~€170–360)
  • Accommodation (~€20–60/night)
  • Travel & health insurance (your responsibility)

 

FULL REFUND if you withdraw after receiving the detailed programme (by May 20) or if KAI cancels due to security reasons.

⚠️ Insurance: You must obtain travel/health insurance that explicitly covers Ukraine (many standard European policies exclude conflict zones). We will send guidance after pre-registration.

TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION SUPPORT

Travel is organised as a group. The Danish cohort travels together — we help you purchase tickets, coordinate the itinerary, and accompany you from the Ukrainian border to Kyiv (and back). This makes the journey much easier for first-time visitors.

Outline route:

  • 25 June — Flight Denmark → Poland (because Ukraine’s airspace is closed to civilian flights)
  • 26–27 June — Overnight train Poland → Kyiv (or a bus)
  • 28 June — Free day in Kyiv, group pre-party
  • 29 June – 7 July — Bootcamp on-site
  • 8 July evening or 9 July daytime — Return

ESTIMATED COST (round-trip, per person): €170–360 depending on booking date.
Final dates and prices by MAY 30. Ticket purchases coordinated by us.

Accommodation is at participants’ own expense (~€20–60/night). We provide a curated list of options near KAI, all within walking distance of a bomb shelter.

Travel costs are borne by participants.

PARTNERS

Would you like to become a partner for this event?

We are accepting proposals until April 15 PARTNER APPLICATION FORM AND TERMS

MORE  MEMORIES FROM 2025

FAQ

Ukraine is in a full-scale war. We won’t pretend otherwise. At the same time:

  • Kyiv is ~800 km from the front line
  • The city functions normally — metro, restaurants, universities, businesses operate daily
  • Air raid alerts occur and we have clear protocols for them
  • All venues used during the bootcamp have designated bomb shelters, and all recommended accommodation is within walking distance of a shelter
  • You will receive a safety briefing on day 1 and a 24/7 English-speaking emergency contact

International participants have been coming to Kyiv throughout the war — journalists, NGO workers, academics, engineers. The city has developed robust routines.

When the alert sounds (you’ll receive it via the Air Alert mobile app — available in English), ongoing programme activities pause and everyone moves to the nearest shelter. Sessions resume after the all-clear signal. Most alerts last 30–90 minutes. We design the schedule with buffer time for this. It’s a well-practised routine — Ukrainians have been living with this system for over four years.

Yes — this is mandatory. You must obtain travel and health insurance that covers your stay in Ukraine.

⚠️ Many standard European travel insurance policies contain a war exclusion clause — they will NOT cover incidents in Ukraine. You must verify with your provider that your policy explicitly covers travel to a country with active armed conflict.

Contact your university’s international office or your insurance company directly. Proof of valid insurance may be requested before the bootcamp.

No — EU/EEA citizens (including Danish nationals) can enter Ukraine visa-free for stays up to 90 days within a 180-day period. You need:

  • A valid passport (valid for at least 3 months beyond your departure from Ukraine)
  • No additional registration for stays under 90 days


Border check happens
on the train (30 min to 2 hours). By bus, border control may take from 1 to 4 hours, and up to 6 hours during periods of high demand. We’ll provide a printed invitation letter to carry with you.

The primary language is Ukrainian. We are currently arranging which sessions will be held in English for international participants. By May 20, you will receive the detailed schedule showing exactly which sessions are in English.

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT PARTICIPATION OR PARTNERSHIPS?

Danish participants coordination – Sofia Korniychuk
WhatsApp/Signal: +380 68 040 0871
 

Bootcamp  coordinator – Artem Tselikov

artem.tselikov@kai.edu.ua

WhatsApp/Signal: +380 97 868 96 02

Онлайн-змагання з паперових літачків: третій етап «Дельта-крило»

Другий набір в Авіамодельну лабораторію КАІ: від фантазії — до реального польоту

Підсумки космічного хакатону ActInSpace 2026

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