You know when you hear those buzzing sounds above your head and you’re thinking, what the actual f**k? (Yeah, we know they sound really annoying.) Drones are pretty popular here in Singapore, and this year’s National Day Parade will see the biggest drone display ever, with 300 unmanned drones performing in a synchronized manner.
But have you heard of drone racing? They’re not your regular ones though; these bad boys go super-fast at speeds of up to 130km/h, zipping through obstacle courses in the shortest time possible. One reason why drone racing’s so popular is because you get to view the race in first-person and see what the pilot sees in his HUD (head-up display), which makes for a truly exhilarating view. In other countries, drone racing has already gained lots of popularity due to the Drone Racing League (DRL). Plus, drones are getting really cheap, so the barriers of entry are increasingly going lower.
All this to say, step aside, NDP drones. There’s a drone race coming your way this Saturday at Bukit Timah’s Turf City. The Asia Drone Championship 2017 will be the first official drone race in Singapore where pilots from all around Asia will compete at the Centaur Sports Park, a former horse racetrack.
Organized by MultiRotor Association Singapore (MRAS), Science Centre, Drone Matters and Recognize Studios, the race will see 64 pilots compete for the fastest clocked time in the mazy, head-spinning circuit. The event will consist of qualifying rounds, elimination rounds, quarter and semi-finals and finals. The best time to head over, according to MRAS’s page, is between 3pm to 6pm.
Also expect live feeds on television screens where you can watch the race from First Person View (FPV), and an FPV station with FPV goggles to really immerse yourself in the race. There will prize giveaways and static drone displays as well, but if that’s not enough to entice you, admission is totes free.
Check out the event page here for more details.
