In a first, AI beats human champions in drone racing competition in Abu Dhabi
All the drones were equipped with the same hardware: a forward-facing camera, a motion sensor, and a Jetson Orin NX computing unit made by NVIDIA. With just this onboard tech, each drone had to make split-second decisions in real time. There was no help from the outside — everything from identifying the course to adjusting speed and direction had to be done by the drone itself.Organisers say this was one of the hardest drone races ever attempted. Even the lighting inside the hall and the type of camera used (a rolling shutter camera) made it difficult for the AI systems to perform smoothly. Still, the top teams handled the challenge impressively, showing just how far autonomous technology has come.The event also included other race formats like drag races and multi-drone matches, with teams like TII Racing and MavLab winning big. A STEM programme run alongside the event trained over 100 Emirati students in drone operations, showing the wider impact of this growing field.With this drone race now complete, all eyes are on the next big thing — A2RL's self-driving car racing series, set to return in late 2025 at Yas Marina Circuit.
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