People will compete with their drones in the first global Drone Racing League
This is a race straight out of Star Wars! If you remember a young Anakin Skywalker winning the Boonta Eve Classic podrace on Tatooine, you'll know the excitement that comes with it. Now, a New York-based league is planning a global drone race.
The Drone Racing League (DRL) in New York City kicked off yesterday and will feature six events in 2016 around the world. The first event will be in Miami on February 22nd and the second will be in Los Angeles in mid-March. Locations have not been finalized for the remaining four events, but locations under consideration include Detroit, Auckland, New Zealand and Mexico City.
All DRL drone races will be held behind closed doors. The first official DRL race was at the Dolphins' stadium, and the next one will be held at an abandoned shopping mall in Los Angeles – and after each event, DRL will produce a series of episodic videos of the races.
DRL plans to add style to the racing arena by lining the buildings with bright neon lights and using dry ice fog. This will make the course and drones a little more visible to the naked eye, as well as a video for enthusiasts to watch.
Drone pilots will wear goggles that will show live video from the perspective of the drone they are controlling. The winner will be decided by skill, not speed, because all pilots will get the same, custom-built racing drone called the DRL Racer 2, which can reach speeds of up to 80 miles per hour.
“We are committed to building the best drones, the most inspiring races, and creating the right terrain for the world’s greatest pilots,” said Nicholas Horbaczewski, DRL’s founder and CEO.
The championship will also use a competitive structure similar to downhill to ensure it is fair to the drivers. Other races have had qualifying rounds, but DRL will have multiple qualifiers per race. The season winners will be decided based on who has the most points after all activities are completed.
