Tech meets sport as drone racing takes flight in SA

Globally, drone racing is exploding and has already become a mainstream sport in many markets, spurring professional leagues and significant prize-money events such as the World Drone Prix held in Dubai in March and the Drone World Championships hosted last month in Hawaii. Emerging technology lobbyists the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) projected global drone sales to reach 9.4 million units this year and revenue is expected to reach $3 billion.

Triggering new careers on the continent

“The massive growth potential for this sport in Africa impacts numerous industries including education, technology, FMCG and communications. For individuals, there are undeniable career prospects so it’s an incredibly appealing sport”, says Drone Racing Africa CEO Simon Robinson.

The high-speed, competitive sport sees pilots manoeuvre drones and other UAV through three-dimensional courses. Pilots steer from the point of view of the actual drone by wearing First Person View (FPV) goggles that display a live image transmitted by an onboard camera.

The DRA drones will range from entry-level through to custom-designed drones built by DRA engineers to exacting standards of speed, performance, and endurance, and optimised for drone racing.

Starting from grass roots

The company says it’s not just about learning the practical skills required for this sport. DRA is committed to helping develop this innovative sport on the continent – while initially focused on launching in South Africa, DRA plans to launch within the next twelve months in East and West sub-Sahara Africa. Where better to start than by training junior school children on the basics?

Robinson explains, “We understand the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) development for children and the theoretical component will be designed with these needs in mind, so that children are educated on both flight theory relevance along with an important application to multiple uses within the wider drone industry as well as the safety and the law that applies to flying drones.”

Starting from this month, DRA will be hosting two-day programmes across the country that offer an introduction to the new techno-sport. By offering short courses and also engaging schools, universities and corporates DRA plans to graduate students to more advanced training. The top pilots in SA will stand the chance to compete at the Drone Racing World Championships. Visit www.droneracingafrica.com for more details.