The state of drone racing is taking new heights. With deals such as the ESPN bringing the drone sport to the mainstream and well-organized events being held in Dubai, the sport has significantly taken off in the past year.
Picture this. You’re watching a drone race. The top competing drones are buzzing towards the finish line in a university gymnasium, and you take your eye off the drones for a second only to realize that the pilots are controller-free. This is the case behind the University of Florida’s brain-powered drone racing.
Drone racing may not be entirely new, but brain-powered drone racing is on a whole new level. Instead of using traditional joystick controllers, pilots are strapped with a brain-computer interface (BCI) headset. The headset offers hands-free control by measuring the pilot’s electrical signals given off from their brain. Thinking “forward, left, right” will move the drone accordingly, but it’s a hell of a lot more sluggish than a regular controller.
A total of sixteen students took part in the race, racing Phantoms
Source: YouTube
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