Wuxi will host an exciting program of drone racing on Sept 5-6, during the 2019 World Internet of Things Expo. [Photo from official WeChat account of 2019 World Internet of Things Expo]

Wuxi will host an exciting program of drone racing on Sept 5-6, during the 2019 World Internet of Things Expo -- attracting participants from 16 countries and regions.

The event will be made up of several competitions oriented to teenagers, adult amateurs and professionals from around the world.

Members of the Chinese national team have signaled they will be taking part in the aerial extravaganza.

Growing in popularity in recent years, drone racing is regarded as one of the three 'smart technology' sports, alongside e-sports and robot fighting. With a top speed of around 140 kilometers per hour, drones used in the race can reach zero to 100 km/h within 1.6 seconds.

Compared with traditional racing, drone racing offers an epoch-making experience for pilots and audiences, since pilots -- in addition to simply overcoming obstacles on the 3D track -- have to pilot their drones using VR goggles powered by image transmission technology, which can also be monitored by on-site and online audiences.

LED equipped on drones can show their movement tracks. [Photo from official WeChat account of 2019 World Internet of Things Expo]

A high-end summit on drone developments will also take place on Sept 5, inviting representatives from drone associations from Shenyang, Shenzhen and other 20 cities to exchange ideas on the applications and the regulation of drones.

Jiang Shunchao, director of Wuxi Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flight Application Association, said the summit is expected to promote the integration of the civil drone industry with latest information technologies such as the internet of things, big data, and artificial intelligence.