Team of Czech scientists win bronze at world autonomous drone race in Abu Dhabi
In Abu Dhabi, a team of Czech scientists came third at the world’s first racing competition for autonomous drones – drones that fly without direct human control, but rather through on-board programming and AI.
Drones are a common sight these days, usually accompanied by a pilot controlling them from a location on the ground. What is a rarer sight are drones that have no pilot at all, flying instead according to pre-programmed patterns and artificial intelligence. A ground-breaking competition for such ‘autonomous drones’ was held in Abu Dhabi on April 11th and 12th, and a team of Czech scientists made it onto the podium.
Teams from around the world entered the A2RL x DCL Autonomous Drone Championship, which was hosted by the United Arab Emirates. The drones in the new competition fly without human intervention, using on-board AI and machine learning. They can reach speeds of up to 150 kilometres per hour, and must manoeuvre independently in close proximity to heavy and potentially harmful obstacles.