Image Credit: Drone Racing League
The Drone Racing League looks set to become huge.
With Unmanned Aerial Vehicles an increasingly popular consumer product, the Drone Racing League is looking to capitalize on this growing market by introducing a high-octane sport for the masses, in which competitors race their drones through a grueling, neon obstacle course across an entire stadium.
The DRL appears to take its cues from the podracing featured in Star Wars Episode I, with the drones flying through a series of obstacles and battling it out mid-air throughout an arena. There are tight corners and insane crashes, with the drones being controlled by professionals each armed with a set of goggles, allowing them to see a first-person viewpoint of the action. The audience can watch all of this unfold from the drone’s perspective via its onboard camera, and will move from venue to venue throughout the duration of its first season.
Image Credit: Drone Racing League
With the first race of this season having already taken place in the Miami Dolphins’ stadium, the DRL will next move to an abandoned mall in Los Angeles, with footage of these races being available to view after each event. The eventual hope is that the DRL will pack out stadiums in the near future, and crowds can watch these drones duke it out above their heads – think of it like Robot Wars crossed with Mario Kart, yet somehow even more awesome than that sounds.
Check out the video debuting the first season of the Drone Racing League below:
And here’s a rundown of what to expect from the DRL, from the people behind the races:
