With remote control drones being so prevalent in recent news involving near-collisions with passenger aircraft, it's refreshing to see some positive news in the emerging trend.

Drone combat and racing groups are springing up worldwide, and a tough new breed of the small aircraft is being developed with new materials and durable designs.

Until recently, all drones were developed with light weight being the main concern in design, which resulted in the aircraft being fragile and easily damaged. New designs are showing up, that are made from extremely durable military-grade carbon fiber and plastics, allowing them to be built with racing and 'combat' in mind.

Founder and CEO of Game of Drones Marque Cornblatt says of their goals in rugged new designs and materials:

"We don't want to treat drones like flowers anymore, but more like proper work tools. We want to make drones as sexy as a shovel. You should be able to throw one in the back of your pickup with your other tools."

California now has 16 chapters of drone sports clubs, and others organizations are springing up in Japan, New Zealand, and other countries. The groups host competition leagues for drone combat, paintball and racing, and one group in San Francisco boasts having over 500 members.

[via ZDNet]

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