Races with drones will be the sport of the future

  • ECO News
  • 8 November 2016

Amazon uses them to make deliveries; there are people who use them to take pictures or videos from a high; they are even used in warzones. And there are people who race with drones.

Drones are a technology that has been largely developed over the last few years and has many uses; however, there is a stronger tendency in the sports world – racing with drones. Nicholas Horbaczewski, Drone Racing League CEO, was in the Sports Trade stage in the Web Summit explaining how this tendency will become a reality in a near future.

Matt Higins, one of the first investor in the company, is certain the industry will become consolidated in the next couple of years and become a mass form of entertainment. The CEO’s prophecy is similar: Horbaczewski believes racing with drones will become as mainstream as any other sport.

The CEO acknowledges: “There are several difficulties in implementing this technology”, since “drones will move very fast and, therefore, they need to have high-speed cameras”. Nonetheless, he has no doubts the races will be a part of the future.

“We may have many leagues, but in a few years someone will win”, Horbaczewski argues. Drone Racing League will focus on the pilots and not on the best drone. Races will take place indoors, in order to avoid some regulations, and the pilots are experienced in activities that demand high motor skills: “Hands are shaking – it is an intense experience. Not everyone can deal with the stress, so we are looking for people who can deal with high levels of pressure”.