Business Wire

A2RL

25.7.2024 08:31:32 CEST | Business Wire | Press release

Share
A2RL Soars to New Heights: Launches Autonomous Drone Racing Championship Worth US $1Mn Prize Pool

The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL), which made its impressive debut this April at the Yas Marina Circuit, has announced the next phase of its challenge with the Drone Champions League (DCL), the world's premier professional drone racing organization. Building on the success of its inaugural event, the A2RL Drone Race continues to advance the frontiers of autonomous technology, merging human skill with innovative advancements in autonomous flight.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240724188405/en/

To view this piece of content from mms.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) x Drone Champions League (DCL) (Graphic: AETOSWire)

The Autonomous Drone Race will bring together teams from across the globe, welcoming established drone racing teams, research institutions and enthusiastic 'rookies.' All competitors will vie for a thrilling prize purse of US$1million, as they strive to achieve maximum agility and speed while successfully maneuvering through objects in the way. Registration is now open at a2rl.io, and interested teams are invited to apply for the competition. All entries will undergo a rigorous selection process to identify the successful competing teams. Those who pass the screening will be invited to participate in a series of tasks that will allow the judging panel to assess the teams' proficiency in using an open-source simulator to fly a drone autonomously. The grand finale will be held in April 2025, where the winner will be determined.

Organized by ASPIRE, A2RL integrates artificial intelligence (AI), autonomy and extreme sports to push the boundaries of future mobility and is spotlighted as the largest autonomous racing league in the world. The A2RL extreme autonomous drone race will see competing researchers program drones to navigate through a sequence of gates, avoiding obstacles, using onboard sensors and computational power. The main goal of the race is to set a benchmark for achieving maximum innovation in algorithms while using minimal sensor technology in complex environments.

As with all grand challenges, the A2RL Drone Challenge will also include a STEM focus and high-school students will be welcome to be a part of the competition.

Announcing the new competition, H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of ATRC, said: “It's only when you experiment in extreme conditions that you really discover new boundaries or breakthroughs in science. We’re inspiring global collaboration, driving technological progress, and creating a future where autonomous solutions transform industries and improve lives.”

Stephane Timpano, CEO at ASPIRE, said: “This is an exciting evolution of our A2RL extreme racing series. DCL is a like-minded partner with years of invaluable drone racing experience. Together, we are not only adding a new autonomous dimension to drone racing but are also demonstrating the limitless possibilities of unmanned aerial vehicles through this competition.”

Markus Stampfer, Executive Chair of Drone Champions AG, the organizer of the Drone Champions League (DCL), said: “At DCL, our mission has always been to push the boundaries of drone racing. Having successfully merged the worlds of virtual and physical drone racing, partnering with ASPIRE to advance autonomous drone flying is a natural next step for us. We are thrilled to bring our extensive experience and expertise to this pioneering competition, supporting ASPIRE with the knowledge we've gained from years of developing race drones and working with the world's best drone pilots.”

By advancing drone technology, this race aims to make drone usage accessible for all countries, ultimately reducing costs and driving innovation across industries such as health and logistics.

For media enquiries please contact: comms@a2rl.io or ATRC@edelman.com

Twitter

LinkedIn

Instagram

*Source: AETOSWire

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240724188405/en/

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com
DK

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Ant International Secures Payment Institution Licence from the Central Bank of Brazil4.9.2026 16:41:00 CEST | Press release

Expanding the company’s capability to support local partners with FinAI solutions Ant International, the leading global digital payment, digitisation, and FinAI solutions provider, today announced that it has received a Payment Institution (PI) licence from the Central Bank of Brazil. “With the Central Bank's invaluable support, we are ready to step up more reliable and comprehensive global payment and account services to enterprises, platforms and SMEs in the country's dynamic digital economy, in ever deeper collaboration with its highly developed payments ecosystem and financial services industry,” said Rodrigo Reif, General Manager, Ant International Brazil. Ant International provides cross-border payments and account services, embedded credit and treasury services, and other finAI and blockchain solutions to clients across Asia, Europe and the Americas. The company processes over 20 million transactions daily, connecting 2 billion consumer accounts to 150 million global merchants v

Bending Spoons completes the acquisition of Airtable4.9.2026 14:30:00 CEST | Press release

Bending Spoons S.p.A. (NASDAQ: BSP) has completed the previously announced acquisition of Airtable, the platform used by more than 500,000 organizations to reshape how teams organize data and manage critical workflows. “Airtable continues to grow because customers value its best-in-class flexibility,” said Luca Ferrari, Bending Spoons CEO and co-founder. “Teams can bring all their data, context, and AI agents together in one place, shape their workflows around their specific needs, and progressively expand their use of the platform over time. As we take the reins, our focus will be on sustaining that growth by investing heavily in Airtable’s product, customer support, and go-to-market capabilities.” “I’m proud of what the Airtable team has built and excited to see the business enter this next chapter,” said Howie Liu, co-founder of Airtable. “I’m confident Bending Spoons has the resources and long-term perspective to help Airtable continue delivering exceptional value to its customers

EQT to acquire McGill and Partners, a leading specialty (re)insurance broker for USD 2.0 billion, from Warburg Pincus4.9.2026 13:48:00 CEST | Press release

Warburg Pincus and McGill and Partners have reached an agreement with EQT that will see Warburg Pincus sell its majority stake to EQT McGill and Partners founders, management team and colleagues will re-invest alongside EQT, retaining a meaningful ownership stake in the firm going forward as they continue to serve clients globally Maintains commitment to firm’s independent model and culture of ownership, developed organically since its founding in 2019 EQT will partner with Steve McGill and the management team to accelerate organic growth, including via talent recruitment, further development of technology and data capabilities, and expansion of innovative digital solutions EQT and McGill and Partners are pleased to announce that EQT X ("EQT") has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in McGill and Partners from Warburg Pincus for USD 2.0bn. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Steve McGill will continue to lead the firm, while Chairman John Lloyd will remain a

A Race Is Never Won Alone: With La Tavolata, Barilla Brings the Paddock Family Together on the Monza Grid4.9.2026 12:18:00 CEST | Press release

A nearly 100-meter-long dinner table hosted more than 200 guests for an evening celebrating collaboration, trust and the bonds built beyond competition. On Thursday evening ahead of the Formula 1® Italian Grand Prix, Barilla transformed one of the sport’s fastest and most competitive environments into a place where the Paddock Family took center stage. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902463001/en/ La Tavolata by Barilla on the starting grid of the Monza circuit. More than two hundred people gathered around a single table: drivers, Team Principals, mechanics, engineers, strategists, safety and medical car drivers, personal trainers, tire technicians. The individuals whose collaboration, precision and trust shape every race, every decision and every performance. A nearly 100-meter table set with plates and pasta. With the first-ever Tavolata organized by Barilla and F1, people from across the Formula 1® ecosy

Aqara Showcases The New Smart Lighting Series and Immersive Smart Home Experience at IFA 20264.9.2026 11:30:00 CEST | Press release

Aqara, a global leader in IoT, today announced a new lineup of smart lighting products and a global community platform for smart space creators, at IFA 2026 in Berlin. The announcements reflect Aqara's ongoing vision for AI-driven spatial intelligence — spaces that understand their users and adapt to how people actually live in them. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260904365343/en/ Aqara Showcases The New Smart Lighting Series and Immersive Smart Home Experience at IFA 2026 The new lighting series — spanning indoor and outdoor use — integrates seamlessly with Aqara's existing ecosystem of sensors, switches, and hubs, bringing complete whole-space lighting scenarios and automated controls to life. The new Aqara products showcased include the Floor Lamp T1, LED Downlight T2, LED Strip T2, Outdoor String Lights H1, and Permanent Outdoor Lights H1. In addition, the company will present Aqara Builder, a platform fo

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye