Over the past few years there has been a surge in the use of drones both commercially and recreationally. Drones have opened a whole new world for how they can be used in professional sport across the world in a multitude of different ways. Coverdrone looked into the different ways how drones can contribute to professional sport way beyond filming sporting events…
Opening Ceremonies
Outstanding athletes from all over the world compete for the ultimate Olympic title in the Summer and/or winter Olympic games. Every four years the summer Olympics takes place with the winter games taking place in between every two years. The most recent delayed Summer Olympics, Tokyo 2020, saw over 1,800 drones seamlessly illuminate the sky above Tokyo’s national stadium. This was all part of the production of a mesmerising drone light display. Drones formed a giant rotating globe; this marked the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and unity of all the participating countries.
Tokyo 2020 is not the only sporting ceremony that used drones to captivate people’s attention and imagination. At the end of July 2021, drones performed a stunning display across Birmingham’s night sky to mark one year until the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2022 that will be held in Birmingham. Drone light shows are proving popular, their innovation and technology will continue to develop and leave people in complete awe of the spectacular shows produced. There is no doubt that we will be seeing more of them in the future!
Helping with training and analysing performance
The future of training sessions within sport is being advanced by drones and their ability to capture a bird’s eye view. Athlete’s training sessions can be filmed by drones, helping to better their performance. This is advantageous to both athletes, coaches, and managers because the drone video footage enables reflection upon the performance. The drones capture shots from a multitude of different perspectives which may mimic what an opponent may see. Drones can help to determine how to better an athlete’s performance, developing new strategies, skills, and tactics to work in their individual or team favour.
Broadcasting on TV
Pursuing way beyond the traditional static camera angles, drones can capture a variety of angles- flying to places where people and fly cams can’t quite reach. Drones provide wide shots, the ability to film an action shot and cover a large area scope. Obviously, safety regulations are to be mindful of. However, live broadcasting using drones is still a working progress. Drones can provide a high-quality viewing experience of sporting events that is like no other.
Crowd control purposes
Drones can be used for security purposes at large sporting events; they can help to monitor and control large crowds. Drones transmit data to crowd management team which enables them to determine how to respond quickly and efficiently in the event of any risks or security breaches. For example, the drones can help to spot any crime or violent behaviour that may be taking place amongst the crowd or public places.
Drone Racing
What about a sport that features a drone? FPV Drone Racing is the answer.
In 2011, Germany first welcomed this new yet niche sport. The principle is for professional drone pilots to race their drones around a purposefully delegated drone course, competing to complete the course in the quickest time.
Global competitions take place regularly of this unique digitally tech driven sport. One of the most well known is The Drone Racing League (DRL).
They describe drone racing as ‘A competition where pilots control drones equipped with cameras while wearing goggles that stream the live video feed from the drones so they feel like they’re flying from inside the drone’.
‘DRL is the global, professional drone racing property for elite pilots. With custom built racing drones traveling 90 MPH, pilots race through the most insane courses across virtual and physical competitions. Merging the digital with the real, DRL delivers innovative drone technology, immersive content, and visually thrilling races on the best sports networks around the world.’ (Drone Racing League, 2021).
According to a new study by Polaris Market research, this unique sport involving drones is predicted to continue to grow in popularity: ‘The global racing drones market size is expected to reach USD 2,060.7 million by 2026’.
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Perhaps you are operating your drone for sporting purposes? We would love to hear from you about your involvement within the sporting industry as a drone operator. Contact a member of our friendly team today and share with us your experiences! Alternatively, if you would like to have a chat about drone insurance our team are able to help.