Team MAVLab received a $1 million cash prize for winning the 2019 Artificial Intelligence Robotic Racing Championship. Team MAVLab, the drone research lab of the Delft University of Technology, won a $1 million cash prize as the leading AlphaPilot team of the 2019 Artificial Intelligence Robotic Racing Circuit, the autonomous drone racing series that accelerates AI innovation through futuristic sports competition. The winning team was announced by Lockheed Martin and The Drone Racing League (DRL), the professional drone racing circuit, following the AIRR Championship, which took place Friday (December 6) at the Austin American-Statesman in Austin, Texas. Lockheed Martin sponsored the $1 million cash prize. The AIRR Championship marked the final race of a four-event series that aims to advance the development and testing of fully autonomous drone technologies for real-world applications including disaster relief, search and rescue missions, and space exploration.

The applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones as they are commonly known are being explored across a wide gamut of industries. However, the demand for personal drones is declining as the initial enthusiasm over owning them has waned. Parrot, which is one of the biggest drone makers globally announced its latest range of drones, called the Parrot Professional, which will cater to the needs of farmers and firefighters. It has revealed two new models -- Parrot Bluegrass for agriculture and Parrot Bebop-Pro Thermal, for thermal imaging. The Bebop-Pro Thermal has a thermal imaging camera coupled with a regular video camera, which will track the sources of heat and help firefighters rescue people caught in burning buildings.