Scene Setter : The First Step Toward European Drone Soccer
failure to qualify—have no choice but to innovate and reinvent themselves. In the halls of BolognaFiere, visitors to the WeMakeFuture trade show are discovering, with curiosity, the very first European Drone Soccer Championship. Here, there’s still no Italian team in sight, but the atmosphere intrigues and sparks curiosity.
It doesn’t take long for enthusiasm to take over the two Skyfences in Hall 21. From the very first day of competition, what stands out most is the sense of camaraderie and warmth among the delegations. In a niche sport on the Old Continent that’s looking to grow, it’s clear that the community must stand united to move forward. A competition like this happens only once or twice a year—it’s an opportunity to reconnect with friends from neighboring countries and, over the course of 72 hours, rediscover or experience for the first time the unique atmosphere of these competitions.
The Freshness of Youth
A major new feature of this European Championship is the School Challenge. This competition is exclusively for young pilots in school, from middle school through college. It’s a refreshing contrast to see these young people arrive with their teachers, take care of their own drones, make their technical area their own, andcompare their results with one another.
Set amid volleyball and basketball courts, the two arenas immediately stand out for their sound. The simultaneous hum of 20 drones flying over both arenas, combined with the music and sound effects generated by the Score Board System—a quintessentially Korean technology that gives each match a “street” and futuristic vibe. Along the sidelines, the announcers amp up the atmosphere between and during matches. At the end of each set, the pressure is at its peak. There’s a strict five-minute time limit to repair the drones and get them back into position in the arena. The icing on the cake? The players entrance music for the finals—created specifically for the occasion—almost evokes the most memorable nights of European soccer. Every effort is made to create an atmosphere unique to the competition.
And what about the audience?
At an event focused on innovation and future technologies like WeMakeFuture, Drone Soccer has what it takes to spark curiosity. And it certainly did. Caught up in the excitement of the competition, it was hard to attend to the visitors, crammed behind the barriers or desks, wondering about the very nature of the sport in Italian or English: “Where does this come from?” “What are the rules?” “What kind of competition is this?”, “Can we try it? It looks easy from here.” These are the kinds of questions that leave a lasting impression—and they’re what made the event such a success. And who knows—maybe in this inspiring and innovative environment, Drone Soccer caught the eye of a young Italian digital whiz…