Racing Drones: A Very Modern Sport
Drones are going to be used for a huge amount of things in the future, with companies looking at all possibilities that this latest tech can afford us. Something not many have thought of however is Racing. Racing is synonymous with an engine, a driver, a track so it is hard for our brains to truly grasp the concept of racing unmanned machines could ever interest petrol heads.
The Drone Racing League begs to differ.
The Drone Racing League (DRL) started on the 22nd of February in the Miami Sunlife Stadium. The race was a rush of whizzing drones speeding around a specially lit stadium and immersing those watching. It was certainly a vision of future sport.
The DRL has the backing from Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross who invested $1m in the League. Matt Bellamy of Muse has given the sport is celebrity sign of approval. There will be 6 races this year with a final World Championship race where the winner takes all.
The DRL is hoping to become the leading professional board of drone racing before any pretenders come on to the scene. The sport is already incredibly popular with clubs popping up all over world.
Drone Racing itself looks like no other form of racing. A combination of sport and gaming culture, even just watching the people participating is fascinating. The pilots, as their known in DRL, wear FPV goggles which let the pilots get a first person perspective.
The drones carry cameras on their noses which provides the footage. The races take place in real world environments and are filled with lights, tight corners and obstacles. The racing Drones themselves are provided by the league which makes sure there is a level playing field among the pilots.
The drones also come with balancing aids which means that pilots can perform impressive tricks and manoeuvres without losing total control. During a race the flying machines flip, roll and almost seem to skid around corners despite being airborne.
Check out the official Drone Racing League video below for a closer look at the race action:
Compared to car racing it is an inexpensive hobby to join or take part in, with all manner of drones available to the public nowadays. Auto racing on the other hand has an elite sensibility and none more so than Formula 1. Drone Racing is particularly looking like the antithesis of F1 making its squabbles and fans seem archaic.
The sport is currently going through turmoil with executives arguing with the drivers over formats for qualifying, exciting stuff. With Lewis Hamilton once again looking to win his third title back to back it shows the lack of competition and making the fans feel like they are not getting what they used to from the once glamorous pursuit of motor racing.
This is where Drone racing steps in but it is not without its critics and in one particular area it struggles – spectators.
It is yet to be decided which is the best way to allow for viewing. The fans cannot be too close due to the amount of crashes. As pilots say “You’re not racing, if you’re not replacing propellers”. A plan is in place therefore to get audiences goggles like the pilots so that they can view live edited footage as well as first person viewing of what the pilot sees.
The technology does not seem to be there with recent trials resulting in footage cutting out mid race. All of this is very exciting but also sounds very expensive. With car racing a huge business it may be years before we see Drones in the mainstream.
But with formula 1 in disarray and motorsport looking old fashioned in this new era of electric vehicle and an environmentally conscious public, drone racing might just be the answer once NASCAR has burnt all the fossil fuels.
