Perhaps you've seen current Drone Racing competitions, or perhaps not. Fun little 6-11" motor to motor quads/hexas racing through obstacles at up to 120mph. Usually piloted from the FPV perspective than by LoS. If you haven't seen these races I'll post a small video at the end of the article. Really it's fun to watch these guys.
A new breed of Drone racing is being introduced by the FDR (The Federation of Drone Racing) which takes things to quite a new level. At Qualcomm's Formula E racing event on July 16, The FDR's new Titan Grand Prix will debut. Taking on a Formula E racer head to head on the track. Details on the track here
What is so interesting about this new kind of Drone (named the GFD1) isn't just the size and power (8 motors/props and with a lift capacity of 200lbs) is how much more involved it will be. These races won't just be technical like current events. They will even include pit crews that change batteries and tend to any possible needs for the craft. Making them much more competitive in endurance type races.
Even though actual competitions won't open up until 2018, it's still an amazing preview of what to expect. By then the FDR should have plenty of investors and companies backing this up. There are hopes that this will grow into the largest (drone size, track and popularity) in the world.
Yes I am excited. While I have never used a racer before, it's still nice to see progression for the industry. There are still many unseen possibilities and opportunities in the drone world. Now is the time to act in it.
If there are any racers out there let me know! I would love to see any of your performances or racers!