Originally used only for military applications, drones are now being raced for sport, and such contests will be shown to the public.
The budding pastime even has a professional organization aptly named the Drone Racing League, which aims to be the Formula 1 of the drone-racing world.
On Tuesday, the DRL kicked off its inaugural season - a series of six white-knuckle races that will be held in several venues such as the Sun Life Stadium in Miami, and the abandoned Hawthorne Plaza mall in Los Angeles. The first race is scheduled on Feb. 22, while the second will be sometime in March.
The rest of the venues have yet to be confirmed, but there's a report that says DRL is considering Auckland, New Zealand; Detroit; and Mexico City as locations for its other 2016 races.
Seeing The Action Up Close
What makes drone racing events compelling, like those organized by the DRL, is that the audience sees the race from the drone's perspective via an onboard camera. The pilots view essentially the same feed from the goggles that they wear.
The main difference is that DRL pilots see the race as it occurs. The league, on the other hand, records the videos then produces content that is shown to the audience.
Understandably, such an approach comes with concerns. Live competitions are thrilling for audiences because they have a level of uncertainty, even when a participant has an advantage. This unpredictability leads to emotion which can resonate with the viewers - just like F1 races.
Live Another Day
Fortunately, the league aims to broadcast live races in the future. DRL founder and CEO Nick Horbaczewski is figuring out a number of hurdles, including how to capture the contests and put together interesting stories about its pilots.
At present, though, he is concentrating on creating high-quality videos, which can be watched on computers and mobile devices.
"We're creating a whole new form of entertainment that straddles the digital and the real," Horbaczewski said.
Admittedly, the lack of live excitement somewhat diminishes the league's F1-level aspirations.
Level Playing Field
Unlike other drone racing events, however, the DRL designs and constructs its own drones with standard equipment. This makes it easier for pilots because they can simply focus on steering their drones.
More importantly, the pilots compete on a level playing field, which is how F1 racing works.
So will the DRL be the F1 of drone racing? This may sound like a cop-out, but it's too early to tell, especially since the league just started its inaugural season.
Consider asking that question again after the season ends and the league starts broadcasting live. Perhaps by then, the answer is certain and would come more easily.
One thing is sure: the DRL should give other drone racing organizations a run for their money.
