For the first time the habitual athletics arena of the Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sports, Youth and Tourism which meets you at the entrance with Soviet-era stained-glass windows, turned into a track with hurdles for competitions in unmanned aviation double-event. Something never seen before here for sure!
Just a few minutes left in the run-up to the start, the crowd is watching curiously the technical zone where pilots are focused on assembling their drones and prepare for the first qualifications flights.
Here is the breath of the future at the First student games as virtuality overlaps with reality, but the very discipline is highly technological. It is fascinating. The drones take off from the start – for want of practice you have a hard time getting your eyes on the small humming drones who develop a speed up to 100 km/hr. The actual pilots are super concentrated, suffice is to make the smallest error at the curve and you are out of the race. You don’t get bored in between flights as the participants change batteries and repair their unmanned flying machines as if during a pit-stop in a Formula-1 race.
The tournament started in day light and finished at dusk which made it more colorful: the elements of the track are illuminated; the actual drones are barely visible while several magic camera settings help you contemplate such beauty!
Photo credit: Russian Drone Racing League (RDR)
