If you were not aware, the Drone Racing League has released the newest version of the custom quadcopter – the DRL Racer3.
Airing on big networks like ESPN and Sky, the league said it reached an audience of more than 30 million viewers during the inaugural season last year, and is set to broadcast its second season this June.
To ramp up the excitement even more, the company has created a new drone that is faster, more agile, and much harder to break.
The Racer3 was designed around a beast of a battery. Its five-cell, 1,800-milliamp power source was custom built and provides voltage for an 85mph top speed and acceleration of 0 to 80mph in under a second.
Last season, the drone’s internals were exposed, making them very susceptible to damage during a crash. This season, the DRL 3 has a flexible polycarbonate frame that helps it absorb impact and continue flying.
More durable drones means DRL can be less worried about accidents. The league keeps between 300–400 of its DRL 3 units in working order at all times. Before every race, they let the pilots run through dozens of aircraft, crashing them at top speed as they try to learn the lines of the course.
Ryan Gury, Director of the product said: “At first they would get nervous and apologize, but now they don’t even worry about it. After they get comfortable, that’s when they can really open up and race at their best.”
The DRL3 has also added LED lights to the belly of the drone, allowing spectators to easily see the aircraft when it’s flying away or above them.
The new design is helpful for pilots who are already in the league that want to practice. But drone racing is still a very young sport, and DRL is eager to find ways to bring more competitors in. So it’s designed a simulator that anyone can use from home.
The software works on Mac and PC, and you can practice with a full-sized drone remote, or a simple Xbox or PlayStation controller. In January, the league hosted a tournament for pilots with the top scores on their online leader boards.
The winner secured a $75,000 contract and a spot in this year’s IRL season, although the name remains under wraps until the launch of the pre-taped episodes this June.
Whilst we are wasting, a taste of the new DRL 3 drone and the crazy three-dimensional race courses the league built can be seen here.
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