Here's a look at one of the races from the 2017 season, where pilots flew around the Miami Dolphins stadium at insane speeds: The races also attract some big-name sponsors like Swatch, which is sponsoring the simulator tryouts and the pilot who wins it. The top level of drone racing put on by DRL is broadcast on channels like ESPN and Sky Sports, with millions of people tuning in to watch the fast-paced, first-person races. "There are people who perceive it as an esport where, you know, at the highest level of competition the top 16 people in the world get to fly real drones and there are people who perceive this as a real-life sport with an esport tryout." "It's actually both - however you want to think about," he said in an interview. Nicholas Horbaczewski, CEO and founder of the Drone Racing League, doesn't have a satisfying answer for people who like to keep the two competitive fields separated.
The whole thing sounds like a mix between an esport and a traditional sport, but which one is it? The top 24 players with the lowest cumulative times on the five courses then compete in the 2018 Swatch DRL Tryouts in February, the winner getting a $75,000 contract and a chance to compete around the world in the 2018 season. Getting to the big leaguesĪfter mastering the basics in DRL Simulator, players can take a shot at racing through the actual courses from the 2017 DRL season. The drones used in pro-level DRL races are custom-built and go from zero to 80 mph in less than a second, whereas most consumer drones top out at 30 mph. The second factor: Not just anyone can get their hands on these drones, just like not everyone can buy a Formula One car. That's a big cost that can add up quickly. The first factor: Drones aren't cheap and they're pretty easy to crash. " is actually the thing where, because it uses two sticks, you can come from this and fly an actual racing drone."īut why wouldn't somebody who's serious about drone racing just get their own race-ready drone and practice with that? "If you play Grand Theft Auto or Forza, you can't really get from that game into a Formula One car and drive it proficiently," he said. Ryan Gury, director of product at the Drone Racing League, pointed out that this makes the simulator pretty unique. All you need is a controller with two joysticks and you're basically experiencing what it's like to fly a real drone. Credit: Drone Racing League The simulatorĭrone racing is actually one of the few things that you can practice virtually and have it translate pretty much 1:1 to real-world application.
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