Drone Racing League Receives a $1 Million From Miami Dolphins Owner

An anonymous reader writes: Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is investing $1 million in drone racing. The Drone Racing League (DRL), a New York startup, announced the investment today. The league hopes to recreate successes that other non-traditional sports, such as the X-Games, have had in recent years. The Wall Street Journal reports: "Earlier this summer, the League held a nonpublic trial race inside the abandoned Glenwood Power Plant in Yonkers. Six pilots standing on the power plant floor controlled their drones as they flew down the warehouse's hallways and through open windows. There are typically five to seven participants per race. Racers wear virtual-reality goggles that make it feel as if they are in the "cockpit" of the drone, which translates to video content. 'It's a completely immersive experience that'll make you feel like you're flying,' said Drone Racing League founder Nick Horbaczewski."

Comments

Re:Good luck

[ScentCone]

If people can stand the buzzing/droning sound that accompanies many soccer/(football) matches, or show up 50-thousand at a time to watch NASCAR racing (have you ever heard that?), I think the hornet-sounding hum of a performance quadcopter is pretty much a non-issue. If people can follow and cheer a hockey game, including the high speed movement of a little black puck a few inches wide, I think a bunch of 250-mm white or fluorescent quads zipping around some crazy obstacles should be easy by comparison.