Empire Drone Expo and Racing Competition Empire Drone Expo and Racing Competition

By Jacob Kronberg SYRACUSE N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — This weekend in Syracuse is the first ever drone racing and technology event to take place in Central New York. The event consists of activities and events surrounding New York States latest investment.

New York State has invested more than forty million dollars in creating advancements and progress in the field of unmanned aerial systems and technology.

The event is more than just your average drone race. It is going to feature the largest micro-drone race in New York State. A realm of the new industry that is more designed for youth.

“When my brother and I race we try and hit each other in the face with them at the end,” said Organizer of the Event Richard Bellamy.

The micro-drones are about the size of a fist and are much safe and less expensive than getting a full-size drone to race. This is one of the ways the industry tries to attract a newer youth audience. If kids can get in on the ground floor of this upcoming industry they will be ahead of the curve when drones become more prominent.

“Once you get into racing, you start learning things you probably wouldn’t learn before,” said Bellamy.

Kids can learn basic computer programming and building with technology skills by creating and repairing the drones after crashes.

The resources for drones and S.T.E.M. programs are much more prominent and easy to get a hold of than people think. Bellamy believes a common reason for people who have a slight interest in drones to not pursue more, it that they don’t know how to get started. That is an objective of this exposition.

“Making this technology more accessible, and showing all the different ways it can and will be used in our lives in the future,” said Katie Jerome, who is in charge of marketing for the event.

The Drone racing event is an attempt to draw people in and create an increase in both adult and kids in the industry.