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Drone Programming with Python - Face Recognition & Tracking (Udemy.com)

Operating drone with network programming, face recognition using OpenCV, automatic tracking, implementing web camera

4.5
451 reviews

Created by: 酒井 潤

Last updated November 2019

Our take

Based on the ratings of 451 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in November 2019. No course pays to be reviewed.

This is a short, project-based course on flying a small toy drone from Python. Across about 4.8 hours and 45 lectures, it goes from environment setup and sending commands over WiFi to OpenCV face detection, a Flask app that shows the camera feed, automatic face tracking and a drone game. The instructor, 酒井 潤, is a software engineer at Splunk. The requirements list asks for basic Python plus some WiFi and IP knowledge, though one reviewer says medium-high Python skills are needed.

Most reviewers find it easy to follow. One calls it well explained for beginners, another enjoyed the technical depth on computer vision and tracking, and a third likes that the projects build on each other. One student says the instructor's enthusiasm keeps the pace good. The complaints are practical. Package installs got messy as versions changed, one reviewer lost days to code that would not run and then hit audio problems, and another wished it went further, for example by connecting the drone to a database.

The biggest catch is hardware. The course was last updated in November 2019, and a recent reviewer says the drone model it uses is no longer sold, so you have to hunt for a substitute. Others followed along with a DJI Tello. With 4,678 students and a 4.5 rating from 451 reviews, it is a niche course that mostly delivers. Buy it if the drone and the Python are already sorted. If not, sort those first.

Best forPython users who own a small WiFi drone and want a hands-on path into OpenCV, Flask and face tracking.
Skip it ifYou don't have a compatible drone, or you want deep computer vision theory rather than a short project build.

Pros

  • Projects build on each other, from basic flight commands to face tracking and a drone game
  • Reviewers call it well organized and easy to follow, even for beginners
  • Covers OpenCV face detection and a Flask web camera app, not just flying
  • Lists the materials and skills needed up front, which reviewers appreciated

Cons

  • Last updated in 2019, and the drone model used is reportedly no longer sold
  • Package installs and library versions caused trouble for some reviewers
  • Short and introductory, and one reviewer wanted it to go further
Great course to learn to program a DJI Tello with Python. Medium-high level of python programming skills are needed.
Juan Dendarieta, a student

Listed as all levels. The requirements ask for basic Python plus WiFi and IP knowledge, and one reviewer says medium-high Python is needed.

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What you will learn

  • Remote automatic drone operation using Python
  • Face recognition programming using OpenCV
  • How to implement a web camera app using Flask's web framework
  • Automatic tracking using face recognition with drone camera

Course content

9 sections · 45 lectures · 4.8 hours of video 1 article

  1. 1Introduction to the course 4 free previews4 lectures · 28 min
  2. 2Operate your drone with an app 3 free previews3 lectures · 16 min
  3. 3Environment settings 2 free previews2 lectures · 24 min
  4. 4Source code for this course1 lecture
  5. 5OpenCV 3 free previews5 lectures · 32 min
  6. 6Remote control your drone8 lectures · 48 min
  7. 7Creating the drone app framework9 lectures · 51 min
  8. 8Tracking with face recognition using your drone cam6 lectures · 52 min
  9. 9Creating a Drone Game7 lectures · 34 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • People who are interested in programming drones.
  • People who are interested in the next generation of autonomous driving and elementary image recognition
  • People who are willing to develop an app using Python

What you need before you start

  • Basic level of python programming.
  • Good to have knowledge of network, WiFi and IP address, as we will be connecting the drones through WiFi
  • Better to have knowledge on building development environment with IDE

How it compares

Against the other 388 rated Udemy courses in Python on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.5 out of 5higher than 52% of them
  • Reviews451#251 of 389 by number of reviews
  • Length4.8 hoursshorter than 75% of them
  • Last updatedNovember 2019earlier than 79% of them

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Course Description

As you may know, robot technology is now very advanced. As an engineer working in one of the top IT companies in Silicon Valley for over 12 years, I feel that the trend to replace humans with robots will continue for quite a long time

In this course, we will be going to learn the following, using a toy drone that can fly indoors.

-Drone operation using Python

-Face recognition with OpenCV using the drone camera

-Web framework and web camera

-Automatic tracking

-Drone flight game (shake your smartphone)

Starting off with a toy drone will be a great way to start off your robot programming experience while you get used to Python. This is also an easy and fun way for your children to start coding. Now, let's get started with drone programming and be ahead of the robot technology trend!
Read More All Levels All Levels product length iconTime: 4.8h

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Instructor Details

酒井 潤

    酒井 潤

  • 4.5 Rating
  • 451 Reviews

1998年同志社大学神学部卒業。サッカー推薦で入学し、在学中は大学日本代表に選出。2001年の東アジア競技大会で金メダルを取得。2004年北陸先端科学技術大学院大学情報科学専攻修士卒業。2004年NTTドコモ入社、2005年米国ハワイで起業、会社経営を2年する。その後、2006年米国スタートアップの会社に転職するも2008年のリーマンショックで倒産。2009年米国NTTi3で勤務をした後に、2012年米国本社Splunk, Incでソフトウェアエンジニアとして現在に至る。


Graduated from Doshisha University Theology Department in 1998. While in university, played soccer on Japan's national soccer team and won a gold medal in the 2001 East Asian Soccer Tournament. Obtained Master's Degree from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Joined NTT Docomo in 2004, started up a Hawaii-based business in 2005, then came to the US to work at a start-up company in 2006. The company closed in 2006 during the Lehman Brothers crisis. Started working at NTTi3 in 2009 and then joined Splunk, Inc. Currently, a senior software engineer at Splunk, Inc., and have been with the company since 2012.

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Reviews

4.5

451 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

Write a review

By Roland Bernold on 5/29/2026

Many courses show you how to program a drone in C, but this course has been especially valuable to me, because "it connects the dots" between programming with Python and Programming a Drone using Python. However, the drone model used in this course is not available on the market anymore. The dronel model I found is this https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005009725883900.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller.3.729e6916n18P1r&gps-id=pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller&scm=1007.40050.354490.0&scm_id=1007.40050.354490.0&scm-url=1007.40050.354490.0&pvid=a79a4e25-9570-4cff-ac9d-4c78b5ef8307&_t=gps-id%3ApcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller%2Cscm-url%3A1007.40050.354490.0%2Cpvid%3Aa79a4e25-9570-4cff-ac9d-4c78b5ef8307%2Ctpp_buckets%3A668%232846%238115%232000&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%2214%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%2C%22sceneId%22%3A%2230050%22%2C%22fromPage%22%3A%22recommend%22%7D&pdp_npi=6%40dis%21CHF%21240.34%21214.70%21%21%212026.44%211810.22%21%400b88489417799647064791676e11b5%2112000049960303939%21rec%21CH%21%21ABXZ%211%210%21n_tag%3A-29910%3Bd%3Ae37a110b%3Bm03_new_user%3A-29895%3BpisId%3A5000000205009259&utparam-url=scene%3ApcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller%7Cquery_from%3A%7Cx_object_id%3A1005009725883900%7C_p_origin_prod%3A. I attended the Nano Degree Program Flying Cars and Autonomous Flight Engineer at Udacity.

By Brad Winters on 4/10/2022

I liked having the prerequisites, knowledge and purchasing needs, layed out and presented with the message of having these before purchase rather than just pushing for sales. Thank you.

By Arthur Raymond Fantaci on 5/26/2021

Extremely well organized and easy to follow along. The instructor's excitement and passion were obvious and made the lessons move along at a good pace. Well done!

By Егор on 4/14/2021

It's better to put that you have to buy a drone in a description, but the course itself is wonderful. A more intense focus on open source projects and Linux would be cooler.

By Ilay Rom on 1/3/2021

The course was a very good as an intorduction to drone programming which was exactly what I was looking for. I do think the JS part was a little harsh as I came to this course without knowing it, and just found ,myself coping a lot of text without knowing what I am typing. Never the less the course was very well made

By Brito Maximiliano on 12/6/2020

Amazing quality

By Mohd Ismifaizul Mohd Ismail on 11/25/2020

Good course for dji TELLO Programing and easy to understand.. Thank you trainer

By Martin Rizzo on 11/15/2020

Yes indeed - it looks great.

By Lim pan sheng on 11/5/2020

Yes. this course is worth for value

By Tim Toribio on 10/9/2020

Very concise!

By Kari Tuominen on 9/7/2020

This was perfect match what i was looking for. Great course overall :)

By Jarryd Lottering on 8/4/2020

Very easily and carefully narrated by the translator and each piece of information went into detail. Very nice course to learn about the drone

Showing 12 of 43 reviews

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Overall Score : 90 / 100

Drone Programming with Python - Face Recognition & Tracking
Visit course on Udemy Write a review
  • Video Duration: icon 4.8h
  • Price: $74.99
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon November 2019
  • Level: All Levels All Levels
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon Yes
  • Lectures:45 in 9 sections
  • Students:4,678
  • Subtitles:1 language
  • Udemy badge:Bestseller
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