tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/drone-racing-28234/articlesDrone racing – The Conversation2017-01-30T16:49:14Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/717732017-01-30T16:49:14Z2017-01-30T16:49:14ZHow the drone went from the latest must have tech toy to a billion-dollar cultural phenomenon<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/154711/original/image-20170130-7685-1hqakn5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An airbourne drone</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success">www.shutterstock.com</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Of the many technologies to have captured our imaginations over the last five years, there have been few with such lofty aspirations as drones. These high-tech flying machines have opened up new cultural pastimes which bring together hobbyist enthusiasm and a simple human curiosity to take to the skies.</p>
<p>In 2015, one of the largest commercial drone developers, DJI, was valued to be worth over <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/6/8554429/dji-75-million-funding-investment-accel-10-billion-valuation">US$10billion</a>, while major media companies like Facebook and Google have been quietly acquiring drone manufacturers to further their aspirations of reaching the remaining world’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/20/facebook-google-buying-into-drones-profit-motive">offline population</a> by using high altitude drones to beam down data through lasers, giving those more remote communities a means of getting online. </p>
<p>But what are the big five applications that explain the proliferation of drones over this period, or which signal important contributions to our society?</p>
<h2>Delivery</h2>
<p>The great thing about drones is that they are small, fast, agile, self-guiding, and can carry things. Ever since Amazon’s first patent award for a drone delivery system in April 2015, we have seen new designs emerge and new applications imagined, including the company’s latest aspiration to create a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/29/amazon-plans-for-giant-airship-warehouses-revealed">blimp style drone</a> carrier which will be able to deploy fleets of drones directly from the sky. Meanwhile companies like Flirtey have received approval for commercial drone delivery flights, for items <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/25/first-us-autonomous-urban-drone-delivery-in-nevada/">ranging from</a> Pizza delivery to bottled water, emergency food and first aid kits.</p>
<p>Other delivery designs have included life-ring drones, blood-delivery drones, and defibrillator “ambulance” drones – the prototypes of which show great success and clarity of use.</p>
<h2>Filmmaking</h2>
<p>In 2015, the world’s first <a href="http://www.nycdronefilmfestival.com/">Drone Film festival</a> took place in New York, shortly followed by a number of others around the world. In the same year, the <a href="https://dronesforgood.ae/">Drones for Good</a> prize launched in Dubai, creating an annual US$1m prize for inventors to come up with some of the best drone applications. Finalists ranged from drones designed to map biodiversity, to a search and rescue drone which was its inaugural international winner. </p>
<p>Award winning filmmaker Liam Young created the first film shot entirely by drones, called <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/27/in-the-robot-skies-sci-fi-film-shot-autonomous-drones/%5D">In the Robot Skies</a>. Artists are even putting 360 cameras onto drones and turning them into virtual reality perspectives, as in the case of award-winning Marshmallow Laser Feast’s <a href="http://www.andfestival.org.uk/events/in-the-eyes-of-the-animal-festival/">In the Eyes of the Animal</a>, which uses drones, LIDAR scanning, and VR to give a completely new perspective on the world.</p>
<h2>Drone Racing</h2>
<p>The United Arab Emirates created the world’s first Grand Prix Drone Racing event, with British teen <a href="http://www.wired.co.uk/article/british-teenager-luke-bannister-wins-worlds-biggest-drone-race">Luke Banister</a> winning its inaugural event in 2016 with a first prize pot of US$250,000. Since then an entire community of drone races have been popping up around the world, with the first professional race taking place in the UK at the 02 Arena in 2017.</p>
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<h2>Conservation</h2>
<p>Drones also have the extraordinary capacity to occupy parts of our natural world that no other object can. These machines have been seized upon by environmental scientists to help us understand the natural world in ways that have never been possible before. For instance, primate biologist <a href="https://conservationdrones.org/">Serge Wich</a> has been monitoring apes from above using a range of drone systems, while <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35353869">Neil Entwistle</a>, of Salford University’s School of Environment and Life Sciences, has been mapping out flooding patterns in the UK to more effectively help us figure out how to protect ourselves against catastrophic weather. </p>
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<span class="caption">Drones can also be used to track environmental changes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/thierryjamesweber/9666983780/in/photolist-fJePu9-wDDxVY-qKcNjG-fJeN37-fJeNy7-6kRoee-bJvE2T-fHXftM-fHXdKn-fJeMif-sEkFYD-fHXeVe-qLoXig-3pFJvh-fHXfki-fJePGd-6kVwE1-fHXeeV-6Mu2VW-fJeMRQ-oowVN1-uFwmxh-fJeP1b-tWLFVc-chvytS-bXpQpW-kZS9Jy-niLPVF-rQcsxe-fJePkQ-6kRmGR-b2YuLR-uedRZP-6MpNSF-9Jg7bA-fJeMv3-fvhXkc-6kVywC-sc1mnw-7Pzmf2-s9RWk5-fvxeLj-qu15AU-8ysmeT-6kVuRY-kswQSL-6kVyHN-ksutJi-FY6KSb-pnVn7f">Thierry Weber/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<h2>Journalism</h2>
<p>Journalists have also been quick off the mark to use drones. The <a href="http://www.knightfoundation.org/grants/20115341/">Knight News Foundation</a> project is developing a Drone Journalism operations manual to help reporters fly ethically and safely. And in countries where there is tight media control there is particular value in having drones to access places which have decreed off limits. In Turkey, for example, an activist allegedly had his <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/06/24/turkish_protests_police_reportedly_shoot_down_demonstrators_drone_video.html">drone shot down</a> by police when he was trying to capture footage of demonstrations in Istanbul.</p>
<h2>Hype?</h2>
<p>Among all these amazing applications, there is also a lot of hype about where drones will take us. A lot is still very much in flux. Rules keep changing, freedoms to fly are being curbed in various countries, such as Spain, and there remains a concern about safety and how best to govern accountability. What’s more, it’s crucial to keep an eye on the links between the military and the consumer sector, as the overlaps are emerging – <a href="https://www.wired.com/2017/01/military-may-soon-buy-drones-home/?">economically and politically</a>. </p>
<p>There is already a push back against a world where we are surrounded by drones, such as the project <a href="http://www.noflyzone.org/">No Fly Zone</a> which lets US citizens try to protect the air space around their homes from drone intrusion. We also have a massive design problem in trying to actually figure out what a highway in the sky might look like.</p>
<p>But one thing is clear, the investment capital is there to sustain these applications for a long time to come and there is no sign of the number of applications diminishing so there’s still a great deal of change to expect ahead.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71773/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andy Miah received funding from Nesta, Arts Council England, and the AHRC in 2014 for a drone project, exploring Digital R&D for the Arts, in partnership with Marshmallow Laser Feast and Abandon Normal Devices.</span></em></p>Drone technology is quickly evolving from a geeky accessory to multi-billion dollar industry.Andy Miah, Chair in Science Communication & Future Media, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/706332017-01-27T02:03:49Z2017-01-27T02:03:49ZWhat drones may come: The future of unmanned flight approaches<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/154120/original/image-20170124-16094-14zorwh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/camera-drone-flying-over-jungle-hills-494077246">Drone via shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The once-small community of drone hobbyists has transformed into a worldwide phenomenon. In 2016 especially, significant technology improvements and regulatory clarity have paved the way for even more dramatic changes in the coming years.</p>
<p>Among the biggest adopters of drones, and experimenters with them, have been <a href="http://business.time.com/2013/03/18/majoring-in-drones-higher-ed-embraces-unmanned-aircraft/">universities</a>. As the director of the University of California system’s <a href="http://ucop.edu/enterprise-risk-management/resources/centers-of-excellence/unmanned-aircraft-systems-safety.html">Center of Excellence on Unmanned Aircraft System Safety</a> – effectively the drone headquarters of our whole 10-campus system – I have an excellent view of the drone industry’s past, present and future.</p>
<p>The truly surprising details are about how wide and diverse a range of purposes drones are serving on our campuses – and what’s coming next. As we begin exploring what drones can do, and identifying what social and commercial uses they might serve, the work provides a glimpse into the future of drone flight across the country, and throughout our economy.</p>
<h2>Engineering research</h2>
<p>Drones have only recently reached the commercial mainstream. However, university engineering departments have been designing and building them for decades. For years, engineering students, for instance, have studied the advanced control algorithms that keep drones flying level and straight. Their work has helped bring us to the point where drones are even available for sale in <a href="http://www.toysrus.com/products/rc-drones.jsp">toy stores</a>. </p>
<p>It is no surprise that our engineers are still working on drones and related technology such as sensors, automation and innovative platforms. Some introductory engineering classes involve students building and flying drones; more advanced students learn about <a href="http://www.ucsd.edu/catalog/courses/MAE.html">flight dynamics and algorithms that help drones stay aloft</a>.</p>
<p>In recent years, though, our engineering departments are focusing less on building the aircraft and more on improving safety, navigation and ability to carry equipment that <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/540391/license-plates-for-drones-could-make-rogue-operators-accountable/">allows drones to help with different tasks</a>.</p>
<p>For example, researchers <a href="https://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/40675">are developing navigation systems that don’t rely on GPS satellites</a>. This could help allow drones to navigate autonomously inside buildings, in deep canyons, underground or other places where GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable. Whether delivering packages to remote locations or handling emergency tasks in hazardous conditions, this type of capability could significantly expand drones’ usefulness.</p>
<p>Another research group is working on ways for <a href="http://www.ucmerced.edu/news/2016/nasa-uc-merced-successfully-test-miniature-methane-sensor">drones to help detect gas leaks</a> from oil pipelines. With millions of miles of pipelines across the country, that is a monumental task. Attaching methane-sniffing sensors to drones could make it much easier: Autonomous drones could fly the routes of every pipeline nearly constantly, registering the location and volume of leaks, and alerting repair and cleanup crews.</p>
<h2>Growth in agriculture and environmental work</h2>
<p>Our largest use of drones has been out in the fields. Two-thirds of the UC system’s drone flights, which encompass thousands of flights and hundreds of flight hours, have been for <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/drones-aid-agriculture">agricultural and environmental research</a>. This suggests that those areas could provide breakout opportunities for drone uses.</p>
<p>Some scholars have found many ways drones can replace existing manned aircraft, like with <a href="http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/napacounty/5637688-181/yamaha-napa-first-crop-spray-drone">a pesticide-spraying helicopter</a> that could reduce time and costs and provide safer operations. But the biggest factor has been how easy drones make it to collect data that were extremely difficult, or even impossible, to collect before. </p>
<p>For example, drones with special thermal cameras are allowing researchers to investigate water consumption rates of several varieties of crops in the <a href="http://watermanagement.ucdavis.edu/research/cover-crop/">Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta</a>. The drones’ data collection is so detailed that the scholars can count individual melons, allowing much better estimates of crop yield. When farmers know much more precisely how big the harvest will be, they can better estimate how much money they’ll make – and can make better budget decisions with the information.</p>
<p>Drones are also proving themselves useful in <a href="https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/scripps-science-responds-el-nino">high-resolution aerial coastal survey mapping</a>. In the past, researchers walked along the coast and took pictures to survey areas. This was difficult to do without disturbing wildlife. In addition, surveyors would take pictures from small planes to model and predict coastal erosion and flooding. With drones, they’re able to collect data more frequently with greater detail, and do a better job <a href="http://spatial.ucdavis.edu/teaching/">mapping and analyzing environmental data</a>. That helps improve our understanding of coastal ecology, and prepares local residents and communities for possible disasters because the drones are able to get closer to certain environments which scientists will be able extract more information from. </p>
<p>For instance, when monitoring giant sequoias, a team of five to seven people would have to map the area, which would take about a week. A drone flight has been able to replace that work with <a href="http://news.berkeley.edu/2016/12/07/drones-help-monitor-health-of-giant-sequoias/">a two-minute flight</a>. That makes it easier to track how the trees are growing and responding to changes in their environment.</p>
<h2>Beyond the academic realm</h2>
<p>To meet the demand from people with no experience in drone technology, we have developed special workshops for students, staff, faculty and UC research partners to learn about <a href="http://igis.ucanr.edu/IGISTraining/DroneTechUCB/">drone technology, regulations and flight instruction</a>.</p>
<p>Campus film and media departments regularly use drones to make sweeping images of our scenic campus locations for promotional videos and reports. Beyond that, though, university facilities workers have been using drones to monitor construction sites, inspect building areas that are hard to get to (like roofs) and keep an eye on the university’s sizable landholdings. All of these uses can significantly improve worker safety, productivity and cost savings.</p>
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<p>Students are also using drones recreationally, which has raised safety and privacy concerns on our campuses, just as it has <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-a-national-conversation-about-sensible-drone-laws-57172">off-campus</a>. With plenty of green spaces, many students want to fly their drones and other model aircraft on campus, even near dorms or other housing. We’ve addressed this need with respectful solutions like helping students <a href="https://uav.berkeley.edu/">form clubs</a> and organizing flying events, either on campus fields reserved for the day, or at off-campus parks. We are also seeing what may be the beginnings of a collegiate <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-might-drone-racing-drive-innovation-57933">Drone Racing League</a>.</p>
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<p>This sort of just-for-fun experimentation can make it challenging to regulate drone flights based on what the drone is doing. But universities are often test locations for new technologies. Our work – both formal and recreational – encourages creativity and can foster an entrepreneurial spirit. We can expect that at least some of these early uses for drones will eventually spill into the commercial and consumer markets.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/70633/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brandon Stark is the Director of the University of California Center of Excellence on Unmanned Aircraft System Safety.</span></em></p>Get a taste of a drone-enabled future by looking at innovations and explorations from researchers, students and employees at one of the nation’s largest university systems.Brandon Stark, Director of the University of California Center of Excellence on Unmanned Aircraft System Safety, University of California, MercedLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/653852016-09-30T15:19:45Z2016-09-30T15:19:45ZHere’s how drones will change cities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/139310/original/image-20160926-31853-d0re4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jag_cz/www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Amazon has been busy <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3777872/Pictured-Amazon-s-new-delivery-DRONE-seen-action-time-tested-secret-middle-countryside.html">testing out</a> its new <a href="https://www.amazon.com/b?node=8037720011">Prime Air</a> initiative at a secret location in the English countryside. The service’s promise of a 30-minute delivery by <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-design-decisions-behind-amazons-strange-looking-delivery-drone-51624">specially designed drones</a> may look like click-bait PR, but it’s an early sign of the significant changes coming to cities around the world. </p>
<p>For the moment, much of the hype around drones is full of caveats: safety is always the first priority, and nobody quite knows the full extent of what’s possible. There’s still uncertainty about how new services will weave their way through airspace – let alone the inevitable tangle of regulations. </p>
<p>Prime Air is likely to take four to five years to become a mainstream service, as public acceptance and demand evolves alongside the business model. But in the meantime, there is going to be a tidal wave of change in both the technology itself, and the public’s attitude towards it.</p>
<p>Civilian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are like the first motorised cars: they have started out as a toy – and sometimes a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-37042796">hazardous one at that</a>. But they will, with time, become normal and form the basis of a new way of living and working. </p>
<p>In response, the urban environment will need to adapt. Perhaps the scale of urban transformation not be as extreme as it was with cars – after all, drones don’t require large-scale infrastructure such as roads and bridges. But the changes will still be many and far-reaching. </p>
<h2>Clear skies</h2>
<p>For one thing, the need for airspace will lead to a push towards decluttering of features such as satellite dishes, and the removal of any unnecessary “sky furniture”, such as telecommunications, electricity wires and billboards. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/139430/original/image-20160927-14625-1rv3e5w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/139430/original/image-20160927-14625-1rv3e5w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139430/original/image-20160927-14625-1rv3e5w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139430/original/image-20160927-14625-1rv3e5w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139430/original/image-20160927-14625-1rv3e5w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139430/original/image-20160927-14625-1rv3e5w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139430/original/image-20160927-14625-1rv3e5w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Sky clutter.</span>
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<p>Engineers may also need to find ways to map out street lighting and transmitter masts, as well as keeping track of other drones, in order to simplify the vast quantity and variety of visual data the UAV’s sensors and pilots have to deal with. Networks of UAV landing pads, recharging hubs and <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/539726/amazon-lays-out-its-vision-for-a-sky-thronging-with-delivery-drones/">air traffic control stations</a> will be created, sited on top of tall buildings. </p>
<p>“UAV-ready” features will become a standard part of homes: not just landing pads with guidance lights (which are <a href="http://www.dronesandquads.com/posts/helicopter-and-drone-landing-pad/">already on the market</a>), but also recharging docks and secure trapdoors, to allow for the storage of deliveries. Space for straightforward UAV access will provide a new selling point for property, though this could be an issue in areas where space is limited: for example, residents living in flats may need to rely on communal arrangements. </p>
<h2>Need for speed</h2>
<p>There are countless other applications for drones beyond delivery services. They can also be used to monitor structures such as wind turbines, or to keep a check on the environment – from riverbank and coastal erosion, to rising water levels and flood threats. Drones could even replace some roles and systems in our cities, such as traffic wardens, speed cameras and some forms of policing.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://sa.catapult.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/White-paper-UAVs-and-agriculture_Final2.pdf">agriculture</a>, drones are already being used to keep an eye on crops and spot any problems. They are also playing a role in <a href="https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/case-studies/research-case-studies/uavs-for-accident-investigation">investigating accidents</a> – and, of course, being deployed for security and <a href="https://theconversation.com/prepare-for-more-drones-and-less-all-out-war-18380">military uses</a>. </p>
<p>Drone racing is likely to be another new addition to city spaces. Just as the motor engine led very quickly to <a href="http://www.grandprixhistory.org/bennett1.htm">motor sports</a>, the availability of new technology and new skills will inevitably lead to competition. </p>
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<p>Drone racing is already attracting international interest – there are a <a href="http://thedroneracingleague.com">number of competing leagues</a> and televised events and the future landscape could include UAV racing courses. Participants and audiences could be local, or – with the help of an internet connection – based anywhere in the world. </p>
<p>All of these rely on highly skilled UAV pilots – perhaps even people capable of operating multiple UAVs at a time. Linked to pilot training will be the need for formal, accredited education and skills in UAV services management. Being able to handle a UAV will become a useful life skill for members of the general public.</p>
<h2>Business opportunities</h2>
<p>There will be plenty of opportunities for businesses and services relating to UAV provision, maintenance, development and management, as well as communications and safety technologies to meet the need for ultra-reliable and more sophisticated tech such as “first-person” vision goggles to control UAVs at a distance – not to mention systems for testing and licensing pilots. </p>
<p>The local, national and international UAV infrastructure also has real scope to transform the operations for <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-humanitarian-summit-nepal-drones-idUKKCN0Y7003">overseas aid and development</a>. Equipped with cameras, UAVs could enable a greater understanding of changing situations and needs, and pinpoint the delivery of support and supplies. </p>
<p>We need high-profile trailblazers such as Prime Air for the technology to realise the drone market’s potential. The hard work, though, is going to be behind the scenes, creating the safety mechanisms for each stage of UAV use, and putting in place laws that get the balance right between protecting civilians from harm and allowing this technology the chance to grow.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/65385/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Antonios Tsourdos receives funding from RCUK, Innovate UK, EDA, MoD, H2020 and industry. He is a member of the Autonomous Systems National Technical Committee and the AIAA Unmanned System Programme Committee.</span></em></p>Over the next few years, drones are going to take to the skies en masse – and cities will need to accommodate them.Antonios Tsourdos, Professor of Autonomous Systems and Control Engineering, Cranfield UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/579332016-06-10T10:09:48Z2016-06-10T10:09:48ZHow might drone racing drive innovation?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125978/original/image-20160609-7083-yuvc0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Racing drones in flight.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://thedroneracingleague.com/">The Drone Racing League</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Over the past 15 years, drones have progressed from laboratory demonstrations to widely available toys. Technological improvements have brought ever-smaller components required for flight stabilization and control, as well as significant improvements in battery technology. Capabilities once restricted to military vehicles are now found on toys that can be purchased at Wal-Mart. </p>
<p>Small cameras and transmitters mounted on a drone even allow real-time video to be sent back to the pilot. For a few hundred dollars, anyone can buy a “first person view” (FPV) system that puts the pilot of a small drone in a virtual cockpit. The result is an immersive experience: Flying an FPV drone is like Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia flying a speeder bike through the forests of Endor.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4wSG3m4VNlo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">First-person viewing puts you in the virtual cockpit of a drone, like flying a speeder on Endor.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Perhaps inevitably, hobbyists started racing drones soon after FPV rigs became available. Now several <a href="http://thedroneracingleague.com/">drone racing leagues</a> have begun, both <a href="http://dronenationals.com/">in the U.S.</a> <a href="http://droneworlds.com/">and internationally</a>. If, like auto racing, drone racing becomes a long-lasting sport <a href="http://www.worlddroneprix.com/award.php">yielding financial rewards</a> for backers of winning teams, might technologies developed in the new sport of drone racing find their way into commercial and consumer products?</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A drone race, as a spectator and on board the drones.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>An example from history</h2>
<p>Auto racing has a long history of <a href="http://fleetowner.com/blog/racing-world-s-impact-vehicle-development">developing and demonstrating new technologies</a> that find their way into passenger cars, buses and trucks. Formula 1 racing teams developed many innovations that are now standard in commercially available vehicles. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Racing for innovation: Formula 1 teams.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2010_Malaysian_GP_opening_lap.jpg">Morio</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These include disk brakes, tire design and materials, electronic engine control and monitoring systems, the sequential gearbox and paddle shifters, <a href="http://www.f1-grandprix.com/?page_id=1742">active suspension systems</a> and traction control (so successful that both were banned from Formula 1 competition), and automotive use of composite materials such as <a href="http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/nascar-nation/nascar-edu/mobil1-technology-hub/nascar-carbon-fiber-hoods-mobil-1-tech-center1.html">carbon fiber reinforced plastics</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pZ0viMxYDA4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A look inside the World Drone Prix.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Starting with the basics</h2>
<p>Aerodynamically, the multi-rotor drones that are used for racing are not sophisticated: A racing drone is essentially a brick (the battery and flight electronics) with four rotors attached. A rectangular block has a drag coefficient of roughly 1, while a carefully streamlined body with about the same proportions has a drag coefficient of about 0.05. Reducing the drag force means a drone needs less power to fly at high speed. That in turn allows a smaller battery to be carried, which means lighter weight and greater maneuverability. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A brick with rotors, ripe for aerodynamic improvement.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-426308953/stock-photo-drone-racing-fpv-quadrotors-in-black-color.html">Drone image via shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is a case where technologies from aircraft and helicopter aerodynamics will find their way to the smaller vehicles. Commercial drone manufacturers have begun working on aerodynamic optimization, using techniques such as wind tunnel testing and computational fluid dynamics originally developed for analysis and design of full-scale aircraft and helicopters. </p>
<p>That may be able to enable longer flight times. If so, it would give drone operators more time to take money-making photos and video in flight. It could also boost drones’ ability to assist missions such as searching for lost hikers. If drone racing becomes a billion-dollar per year sport – <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/30/sport/motorsport/f1-money-billion-dollar-business/">like auto racing</a> – teams will deploy well-funded research labs to eke out every last bit of performance. That additional incentive – and spending – could be poured into racing advances that will push drone technology farther and faster than might otherwise be the case. </p>
<p>Organized competition isn’t the only way to innovate, of course: Drone development has accelerated even without it. Today, the cheapest drones cost under US$50, though they can fly only indoors and have very limited flight capabilities. Hobby drones costing hundreds of dollars can perform stunning aerobatic feats in the hands of a skilled pilot. Drones capable of autonomous flight are also available, though they cost thousands of dollars and are used for more specialized purposes like scientific research, cinematography, law enforcement, and search and rescue.</p>
<h2>Advancing control and awareness</h2>
<p>The drones used in racing (and indeed, all current multi-rotor drones) contain hardware and software to improve stability. This is essentially a low-level autopilot responsible for “balancing” the vehicle. The human pilot controls the vehicle’s front/back and left/right tilt angles and the magnitude of the total thrust, as well as how fast the vehicle turns and changes direction.</p>
<p>There is no reason why this must be done via control sticks, as is currently common: Pilots could use a smartphone to control the drone instead. There is, in fact, no reason why drone control needs to be done using a physical interface: recently the University of Florida hosted a (very basic) drone race using <a href="http://www.braindronerace.com">brain-machine interfaces to control the drones</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U08ma8KNOnY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Racing drones steered by brain signals.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Aside from flight control, situation awareness is a key problem in drone operations. It is all too easy to crash a remotely operated vehicle into a pillar on the left when the cameras are all pointed forwards. In addition, the pilot of the lead drone in a race has no way of knowing where the competitors are: They could all be a long way behind, or one could be in a position to pass.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Robots need multiple camera angles to see themselves and their surroundings, like this mosaic self-portrait of NASA’s Curiosity Rover on Mars.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16763">NASA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Solving this problem could have payoffs for other telepresence robotics operations, such as remotely operated underwater vehicles and even planetary rovers. Vision systems consisting of several cameras and a computer to stitch together the different views could help, or a haptic system could vibrate to alert a pilot to the presence of a drone or other obstacle nearby. Those sorts of technologies to improve the pilot’s awareness during a race could also be used to assist a remote-control robot pilot operating a vehicle at an oil drilling platform or near a hydrothermal vent in the deep ocean.</p>
<p>This is of course still very speculative: Drone racing is a sport still in its infancy. It is not yet clear whether it will become a massively popular sport. If it does, we could see very exciting advances coming from drone racing into both the toys that we fly in our living rooms and parks and into the drones used by professional videographers, engineers and scientists.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/57933/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jack Langelaan receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautic and Astronautics, a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a member of the American Helicopter Society.</span></em></p>If, like auto racing, drone racing becomes a long-lasting sport yielding financial rewards for backers of winning teams, might new technologies find their way into commercial and consumer products?Jack Langelaan, Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.