This is essentially a low-level autopilot responsible for “balancing” the vehicle.

The drones used in racing (and indeed, all current multi-rotor drones) contain hardware and software to improve stability. Drones capable of autonomous flight are also available, though they cost thousands of dollars and are used for more specialized purposes like scientific research, cinematography, law enforcement, and search and rescue. Hobby drones costing hundreds of dollars can perform stunning aerobatic feats in the hands of a skilled pilot. Today, the cheapest drones cost under US$50, though they can fly only indoors and have very limited flight capabilities. Organized competition isn’t the only way to innovate, of course: Drone development has accelerated even without it. That additional incentive – and spending – could be poured into racing advances that will push drone technology farther and faster than might otherwise be the case. If drone racing becomes a billion-dollar per year sport – like auto racing – teams will deploy well-funded research labs to eke out every last bit of performance. It could also boost drones’ ability to assist missions such as searching for lost hikers. If so, it would give drone operators more time to take money-making photos and video in flight.

That may be able to enable longer flight times. Commercial drone manufacturers have begun working on aerodynamic optimization, using techniques such as wind tunnel testing and computational fluid dynamics originally developed for analysis and design of full-scale aircraft and helicopters. This is a case where technologies from aircraft and helicopter aerodynamics will find their way to the smaller vehicles. That in turn allows a smaller battery to be carried, which means lighter weight and greater maneuverability. Reducing the drag force means a drone needs less power to fly at high speed. A rectangular block has a drag coefficient of roughly 1, while a carefully streamlined body with about the same proportions has a drag coefficient of about 0.05. Aerodynamically, the multi-rotor drones that are used for racing are not sophisticated: A racing drone is essentially a brick (the battery and flight electronics) with four rotors attached.

Brick rigs flying controls