A 15-year-old British drone pilot has swooped to victory, claiming the €225,000 prize after winning the first ever World Drone Prix in Dubai.
In a competition that saw 150 teams from all over the world fly drones around specially designed courses, the World Drone Prix gave out a total of $1m in prizes, with teenager Luke Bannister leading the Tornado X-Blades Banni UK team to victory.
The World Drone Prix saw teams of four pilots racing their drones, using only cameras mounted on the flying devices as their visual guide to completing the circuit. Across 12 laps, the pilots steered the drone through illuminated arches on the course, with the racers required to make one pit stop to allow for a change of battery.
The first ever World Drone Prix Champion: Luke Bannister from UK with Tornado X-Blades Banni UK.
Image: @DubaiSC pic.twitter.com/uljQ1l7unA— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 12, 2016
The success of the competition resulted in the announcement by a cabinet minister that Dubai will play host to the WorldFuture Sports Games in December next year. As well as drone piloting, other sports in competition next year will include robotic swimming, running, wrestling, and car racing.
You can watch the grand final of the World Drone Prix in the video below:
