In Australia, a racing drone, an octocopter Airspeeder Mk3, was tested in the desert. Writes about this The Guardian. Flight tests were successful. The car passed all the checks.
It is planned that this year the drone will take part in the races. Four teams of two pilots each will compete. Previously, such races were conducted on quadcopters. The pilots were driving the cars while wearing virtual glasses on the ground. They were broadcasting a view from drone cameras.
Next year, a pilot can be put in the octocopter. A cabin is provided for it. Special surveillance cameras were installed in it, which will monitor the pilot’s condition, analyze it and, if necessary, quickly respond.
The octocopter weighs 130 kg. At the same time, it can accelerate to 200 km / h. The battery lasts 15 minutes. But it can be quickly changed at the pit stop. The drone is equipped with cameras, rodar and lidar and can quickly dodge obstacles.
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