Aerial drones were originally built for the military. But over the past decade, both consumer and commercial use has exploded. Drones are now being used to fight fires, take pictures, and even deliver packages. These unmanned aerial vehicles have also entered the arena of electronic sports.
On May 1, Wings Over the Rockies: Exploration of Flight in Englewood hosted a unique, esport competition — U.S. Drone Soccer’s first academic tournament in North America.
Four schools competed in the inaugural event, including Westminster High School. While the large hall buzzed with pregame activities, like labeling batteries and calibrating and testing the drones, sophomore Khang Tran was already hyping up his nine-person team.
“Today, we’re here to win right? Right,” he said. “Make sure you got your A game ready.”