The first public drone racing course will open this summer https://t.co/7YBUWlJ3qWpic.twitter.com/I0xGpZLwJX
— MarketWatch (@MarketWatch) June 4, 2016
Drones aren’t just the future of warfare, it looks like they might be the future of recreational sports as well. According to Marketwatch, the Aerial Sports League recently tested out their upcoming Drone Sports World space, which is set to permanently open at the San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts Innovation Hangar within a few months.
The drone racing league hosted a large party to show off some of the upcoming attractions that the park will offer. There was drone racing, for one, where small remote-controlled aircraft careened through a track of nets and hoops illuminated under black lights. They were controlled by racers who wore full headsets that saw through the drone’s camera, and guests had the opportunity to sit for “ride-alongs,” where they got to see through the drone’s eye as racers took them through the arena.
Also taking place during the event were drone dogfights, where drones competed to knock each other out of the sky. While it was a bit more violent, the netting cage kept spectators safe.
The Drone Sports World concept had previously been tested at the 2016 Makerfaire, where it was a big hit. Once the permanent location opens this summer, it will also offer the racing, aerial combat, and drone training featured at the event, and the organizers hope that their San Francisco location will just be the first of what could become a national chain.