Some call it the sport of the future: drones competing at high speed in circuits littered with obstacles, curves and counter curves. It’s like an aerial battle taken from Star Wars but in real life.
One of the first extensive articles about this new sport was published in November 2015 by Wired magazine. Journalist Tim Moynihan titled it: “Drone Racing League will give you a wild robot’s-eye view in VR“.
At that time the Drone Racing League was still in its first year of existence and was clearly in the early stages of development as a potentially brand new franchise in the sports pages of history. Within that year there was no promotional videos and all we knew was that 2016 would be the launching year for this new Racing League. This marketing strategy is widespread among series and film producers generating a great expectation among journalists and potential fans who can not wait for the six races scheduled for this year to start.
But what are racing drones? Unmanned aircrafts piloted by remote control which can reach a speed of 90 mph (145 km/h) and unlike typical racetracks we see in Formula 1, here the lines are scarce, no asphalt or baselines, only open maneuvering curves and obstacles marked with neon lights and a space so dynamically different than a fixed course in a set road, these tridimensional options to take over another drone are more than abundant.
Another feature is the use of virtual reality head-sets for the drivers allowing them to have the vision and perspective of the drone itself while driving, thanks to the cameras attached to the chassis making it a first person view while maneuvering through the races.
The drones in the league are different from those found in the commercial market. In fact the DRL itself is responsible for the design and manufacture of the entire aircraft. All with the same technical specifications so the pilot’s ability is the one to stand out and the creativity involved to win the competitions.
This technology is not completely new to the world of sports and entertainment, which since 2015 is testing in areas as diverse as video games with a VR enhancement, to make an immersive experience much more attainable and some other more adult driven content.
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