Skip to main content

Hone your drone skills with a touch of Tron in this quadcopter arena

DJI arena
Own a drone? If you live in a city, finding a place to fly your machine may prove even more challenging than your first-ever flight. So how does the idea of a purpose-built drone arena sound? A safe space where you can hone your skills and swap tips with other drone enthusiasts?

For hobbyist and pro pilots in South Korea, such a place is about to become a reality. It’s the work of drone giant DJI, which in a couple of weeks is opening its first-ever drone arena in a spot just south of Seoul.

Recommended Videos

The 1400-square-meter facility features an adjustable LED-lit circuit for race training and screens offering pilots first-person views of their flying machine.

Safety nets should save your skin if someone’s (or maybe yours?) remotely controlled copter careers out of control, and if a heavy landing puts your machine out of action, there’s a maintenance room where you can get it fixed – providing the damage isn’t too severe, of course.

DJI’s Moon Tae-hyun said he hopes the new arena will provide a “safe and fun environment for people to experience the technology first-hand, whether they’re skilled enthusiasts or someone who’s just curious to learn.”

Moon said one of the biggest advantages of the indoor venue was that it’ll provide a space for drone enthusiasts to fly throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions.

Besides entertaining members of the public, the DJI Arena will also be available for individual and group bookings, corporate event rental, and as a venue for workshops, too.

“For skilled drone pilots and UAV clubs, the arena can also offer the stage for more advanced flying experiences and drone racing,” DJI said in a release.

All in all, it looks like a fun place to test out your flying skills, though we’re wondering how many pilots will be able to use the place at the same time before things start to go awry in the sky.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Feds ban Chinese-made drones over spying fears. Could your drone be next?
DJI Mavic Mini flying

The U.S. Department of Interior (DoI) has essentially banned Chinese-made drones and drone parts because of the fear of these drones’ potential to be used for spying.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the new no-fly rule, which takes effect immediately, is explicitly aimed at foreign-made drones and that the only fly exceptions would be for responding to natural disasters or other emergencies.

Read more
The best portable power stations
EcoFlow DELTA 2 on table at campsite for quick charging.

Affordable and efficient portable power is a necessity these days, keeping our electronic devices operational while on the go. But there are literally dozens of options to choose from, making it abundantly difficult to decide which mobile charging solution is best for you. We've sorted through countless portable power options and came up with six of the best portable power stations to keep your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets functioning while living off the grid.
The best overall: Jackery Explorer 1000

Jackery has been a mainstay in the portable power market for several years, and today, the company continues to set the standard. With three AC outlets, two USB-A, and two USB-C plugs, you'll have plenty of options for keeping your gadgets charged.

Read more
CES 2023: HD Hyundai’s Avikus is an A.I. for autonomous boat and marine navigation
Demonstration of NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

This content was produced in partnership with HD Hyundai.
Autonomous vehicle navigation technology is certainly nothing new and has been in the works for the better part of a decade at this point. But one of the most common forms we see and hear about is the type used to control steering in road-based vehicles. That's not the only place where technology can make a huge difference. Autonomous driving systems can offer incredible benefits to boats and marine vehicles, too, which is precisely why HD Hyundai has unveiled its Avikus AI technology -- for marine and watercraft vehicles.

More recently, HD Hyundai participated in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, to demo its NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system for recreational boats. The name mashes together the words "neuron" and "boat" and is quite fitting since the Avikus' A.I. navigation tech is a core component of the solution, it will handle self-recognition, real-time decisions, and controls when on the water. Of course, there are a lot of things happening behind the scenes with HD Hyundai's autonomous navigation solution, which we'll dive into below -- HD Hyundai will also be introducing more about the tech at CES 2023.

Read more