AI vs Humans Drone Racing AIRR
So, who do you think won? First race was won by human, one of the best DRL drone pilots “Gab707” Gabriel Kocher. He was only 5 sec faster than the AI controlled drone. Sounds a lot, but we will see in few years?? For readers that don’t know what is AIRR, AIRR is Artificial Intelligence Robotic Racing.
Technology Challenge
It all started when Lockheed Martin launched AlphaPilot challenge to create AI for racing drones. Hundreds of software developer teams with few thousand developers applied. With series of tests DRL selected only 9 teams to develop AI for the AIRR drones.
DRL created equal playing field for all 9 teams by providing baseline SW developer kit linked to RacerAI’s OS. Price was $1Mil USD for the team that creates the fastest AI code. On top of that, winning team could compete with the one of the best DRL pilots for additional $250,000USD.
AlphaPilot Teams
From the hundreds of teams that applied for the AlphaPilot challenge DRL selected only 9 best of the best teams.
Here are the teams on no particular order:
- RTB – Warsaw MIMotaurs – Poland
- KEF Robotics – USA
- UZH Robotics & Perception Group – Switzerland
- MAVLab – Netherlands
- Team Puffin – Sweden
- XQuad – Brazil ICARUS – USA
- Formula Drone – USA
- TEAM USRG @ KAIST – South Korea
Race
There were 4 races organized where the 9 teams competed flying their AI guided drones through gates. Team were judged base on how many gates and how fast they will go through the course.
All teams used DRL drone RacerAI loaded with their AI racing software. This drone is 7 lbs and can achieve speed of 70 miles/hour. It looks like and arrow, equipped with NVIDIA Jetson AGX Xavier and connected with 4 cameras.
The 4th race was for the World Championship and team MAVLAB was crowned the 2019 AIRR Champions. Their drone finished the race in 11 sec.
MAVLAB lost their head to head race with Gab707, as he finished the race in 6 sec, however they showed that AI drone racing is something that will become bigger.
To summarize
In my opinion what DRL and Lockheed Martin did is truly visionary. With this challenge they moved the bar for all drone manufacturers and drone pilots. They have also brought software developers on the table and opened the doors for more innovations in the drone industry. Piloting drones will never be the same. In very near future drone pilots will need to compete with advanced AI drones and difference will not be 5 sec. Some predicts that just in 3 years, 2023, AI drones will beat human pilots in AIRR. With all the tests and advancements in obstacle avoiding for drones, I would not be surprised at all.
AlphaPilot – Lockheed Martin AI Drone Racing Innovation Challenge is out again for 2020. This year prize for the World Champion is $2,250,000 USD. Again, this will drive lots of software developers to focus on drones and AI for drones. Just wait and see how the drone future is fast changing.
