Remotely Piloted Drone Races

Each race lasted between 1:30 and 2 minutes.

They were broadcasted live on a giant screen at the PMU Lab, and therefore visible to all visitors.

•    On board each Parrot Bebop 2 FPV was a 14MP Full HD camera to provide a live broadcast of what the drone saw, and also to allow the pilots to perform their manoeuvres with precision. The images captured by each drone were also visible to the public via the giant screens.

•    In addition, all the races were filmed by a drone and by cameras on the ground, and the images were broadcasted at the PMU Lab on a giant screen.

Beyond the technological achievement on the occasion of Viva Technology, this experience is part of the innovation strategy pursued by PMU and the horse racing sector, which are working to renew the experience of betting and the sporting spectacle. Through the PMU Lab, its internal structure dedicated to innovation, PMU has put in place this world first by combining the most advanced skills and technologies from partners recognised for their expertise in the field, all of them part of La French Tech.

The growing development of drones and the various national and international competitions seem to be a significant asset in becoming an actor in this ecosystem. Some foreign betting operators are taking bets on races of this type, and PMU wants to become the benchmark for this in France.

Currently being renovated, the ParisLongchamp racecourse, managed by France Galop, will reopen on 8 April 2018. It will be not only a racecourse, but also a place for events, leisure, culture and innovation open to all. France Galop is very pleased to be associated with PMU for this operation and to welcome the world’s first remotely piloted drone race on the occasion of Vivatech.

See the Drones on YouTube

Partners

To organise this world first, PMU has teamed up with partners recognised in their fields, all of them French companies.

•    Dronisos: Race designer and developer of the remote piloting solution

•    Parrot: drone supplier (Bebop 2 FPV)

•    Orange Business Services: providing connectivity with a very high-speed fibre link between Paris Longchamp and Vivatech

•    France Galop: providing the Paris Longchamp racecourse

•    GTHP: Audiovisual resources

•    GlobeCast: ensuring the capture and live broadcast of audiovisual and multimedia content

About PMU

PMU has always placed technological innovation at the heart of its strategy and has committed to an ambitious strategic plan, PMU 2020, which includes in particular a digital transformation component. From the first bet placed by telephone in 1968 to digital touchscreen interfaces, from the Minitel to virtual reality, innovation has always been an essential part of our activity, to meet our customers’ expectations. Today PMU, like all companies, must innovate as competition and customer expectations become ever stronger. PMU has also embarked on a strategy of innovation and adaptation of its offer and its services in order to stimulate a strong dynamic for betting in France and to win over new customers.

About Globecast

Part of the Orange Group, Globecast provides agile and seamless content acquisition, management and distribution services globally. The company constantly innovates in an evolving IP-centric environment to provide reliable and secure customer solutions.  Globecast has created the number one global hybrid fiber and satellite network for video contribution and distribution. This network enables multiplatform delivery including TV Everywhere OTT, satellite, cable, video on demand, CDN delivery as well as cloud-enabled media services. The company remains the trusted partner for coverage and international delivery of news, sports, and special events around the globe. Customers enjoy a seamless global experience on the ground from 12 interconnected Globecast owned facilities, including Los Angeles, London, Singapore, Paris, Rome, and Johannesburg.

About Dronisos

Dronisos, based in Bordeaux and London, is a specialist in the creation of complete services based on autonomous drones. Dronisos has taken part in numerous international drone shows, indoors and outdoors, using swarms of up to 100 drones. By using this same technological base, Dronisos provides automatic inspection solutions for industry, for the monitoring of pylons, solar power stations or construction sites. At Vivatech, Dronisos is providing the system for remote piloting of the drones between the Longchamp racecourse and the Vivatech show. Dronisos is also putting on an automatic drone spectacle using the Bebop 2 from French constructor Parrot.

About Parrot

Founded in 1994 by Henri Seydoux, Parrot designs, develops and sells high-technology wireless products intended for the general public and for large companies. The company relies on a common technological expertise to develop three main sectors:

• Civilian drones including leisure drones and solutions intended for professional markets.
• Connected devices in the areas of sound and the garden in particular.
• The automotive sector with the widest range on the market of hands-free communication and info- entertainment systems for cars.

Parrot, based in Paris, now has more than 700 staff throughout the world and the great majority of its sales are international. Since 2006, Parrot has been listed on Euronext.

At Vivatech, Parrot is supplying the Bebop 2 FPV drones and has also selected the five  pilots who have taken up the challenge to compete in this remote-controlled drone race, unique of its kind! Parrot flight space will be installed on Saturday 17 June on the PMU stand to allow young and old  to learn how to fly a drone through fun initiations using a horse racing theme. As for expert and knowledgeable pilots, they can compete against others in Parrot Minidrone challenges, and try to  win one of the many prizes on offer.

About Orange Business Services

Within the Orange telecommunications group, the 21 000 staff at Orange Business Services are dedicated to French and multi-national companies on the five continents, and support them daily in their digital transformation. Orange Business Services is at the same time an infrastructure operator, a technology integrator and a supplier of value-added services. It provides companies with digital solutions for their employees (collaborative spaces and mobile workstations), for their clients (omni- channel customer relations and development of new services) and for their projects (enhanced connectivity, flexible IT infrastructures, cyber defence). Integrated technologies range from next- generation networks (SDN / NFV) to Big Data, and including connected objects, cloud computing, unified communications and collaboration applications, and cyber security. More than 2 million professionals, businesses and communities in France have put their trust in Orange Business Services. Internationally, this includes more than 3 000 world-renowned multi-nationals.

About France Galop

France Galop, as the parent company of the gallop, plays an essential role in the organisation of more than 7 000 flat and jump races in France each year. It has also established itself as organiser of great horse racing events of international renown, such as the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Prix de Diane Longines, the QIPCO Prix du Jockey- Club and the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris.France Galop also manages 3 of the best-known training centres in the world (Chantilly, Maisons- Laffitte and Deauville) and 6 prestigious racecourses - Auteuil, Saint-Cloud, Maisons-Laffitte,  Chantilly, Deauville as well as ParisLongchamp.

About GTHP

The Media Hub of the racing institution and its audiovisual production branch (GTHP) have fixed and mobile production resources for filming horse races in Paris and the French provinces. Each year, it produces more than 1200 videos of meetings (10 000 races) for the Equidia channels  and their digital platforms, for the national broadcaster (TF1 group), for betting operators (PMU) and for international clients.