This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on March 10, 2025 - March 16, 2025
“Pilots, arm your drones!” The marshal’s call cuts through the electric hum of spinning propellers. Engines whirr, a countdown begins and pilots snap on their First-Person View (FPV) goggles. With a flick of the throttle, the drones shoot into the air.
From behind their headsets, the pilots navigate their drones through a high-definition 4K feed, manoeuvring around hairpin turns, plunging into vertical dives and skimming past luminous gates with precision.
Though the sport appears frenetic, FPV drone racing is a fusion of precision engineering and high-speed competition, attracting adrenaline junkies and tech enthusiasts alike.
Malaysia has begun making its mark on the global drone racing stage. In 2024, the country sent four elite pilots to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Drone Racing Championship (WDRC) in Hangzhou, China. The event, held from Oct 30 to Nov 3, featured competitors flying custom-built racing drones through a complex aerial course, vying for top spots in four categories: Overall Individual Classification; Junior Individual Classification; Women’s Individual Classification; and the National Team Classification.
Among Malaysia’s squad, one name stood out — that of 17-year-old Norarisya Zuraidy. Competing in both the women’s and junior categories, she made history by securing a spot among the world’s top 10 female drone racing pilots at the 2024 WDRC.
FPV drone racing is more than just piloting skills, though. It also involves fine-tuning propulsion systems, optimising telemetry and pushing the boundaries of aerodynamics. From custom-building drones to designing telemetry solutions, the sport serves as a foundation for deeper technological and engineering advancements.
Recognising its potential, Futurise Sdn Bhd launched the National Drone Sports Strategic Roadmap (Nadsar) last November after two years of development.
The initiative aims to cultivate Malaysia’s drone sports ecosystem by fostering partnerships with regulators and educational institutions, paving the way for a new generation of pilots and engineers.
“By gamifying drone operation, we hope to generate interest in engineering, coding, aerodynamics and robotics, creating a natural entry point for young people to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related fields,” says Futurise CEO Rosihan Zain Baharudin.
Drone racing has become one of the fastest growing sports. Beyond sports, the drone industry in Malaysia is experiencing rapid growth. According to Nadsar, the sector has the potential to contribute RM50.71 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP) and create 100,000 job opportunities by 2030. More than 200 drone technology companies have already been identified, and with increasing demand, the number of domestic players is expected to grow exponentially.
Industry players see drone sports as an entry point for talent development, as the skills required for competitive racing align with those needed in commercial drone applications, such as precision agriculture, infrastructure inspection, surveillance and logistics.
Building a talent pipeline
In 2023, Aksadron, the National Academy for Drone Sports Excellence, launched Dronecubator — a pilot programme designed to introduce drone sports activities to four local universities and a secondary school.
In collaboration with the Malaysian Sports Aviation Federation (MSAF), the initiative trained 200 students on a specialised drone sports module, helping to establish an initial talent pipeline for future competitive pilots.
“Another key initiative, conducted alongside Cyberview, is the Cyberjaya Drone Hero (CDH) programme, which has trained 200 students from more than 10 schools in Sepang in drone flying and Drone Soccer,” says Rosihan.
The CDH programme covers fundamental aspects of drone operation, regulations, flight simulation training, drone ball assembly and competitive gameplay. Expanding its engagement in 2024, Futurise organised three Sky Battle Drone Soccer competitions, attracting teams from schools, universities and corporations. Notable winners included Team Aerotech from Advanced Technology Training Centre Kemaman, Terengganu, and Team Fierorhino from ILP Sandakan, Sabah.
Rosihan believes the growing participation in such initiatives underscores drone sports’ potential as a mainstream emerging sport in the country.
“We hosted Malaysia’s largest drone race to date in August 2024, with 60 pilots competing. The demographics were diverse, ranging from retired professionals to university students passionate about robotics and gaming. Their natural hand-eye coordination makes them well-suited for the sport,” says Viki Baarathi, founder and race director of Underground KL FPV Drone Racing Malaysia.
Despite its growing popularity, drone sports in Malaysia face regulatory challenges. Futurise, alongside MSAF and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), has been working to streamline governance structures to ensure consistency in enforcement and minimise procedural delays.
“The absence of clear governance for drone sports has led to inconsistencies in enforcement. We are working with CAAM to develop specific regulatory guidelines covering licensing, safety protocols and jurisdictional oversight,” Rosihan explains.
Public concerns over drone safety and privacy have also been a focal point. Viki stresses, however, that pilots adhere strictly to CAAM’s safety regulations. “Drones are flown within designated geolocations, typically within the pilot’s line of sight,” he assures.
To improve on safety and compliance, Futurise and MSAF are working on standardised protocols, including pre-event safety checks, airspace coordination measures and risk assessment frameworks. In addition, Futurise is conducting training programmes and public awareness initiatives focusing on ethical flying, regulatory compliance and best practices.
Starting from scratch
Racing drones must be highly optimised for speed, agility and responsiveness. While building a drone from scratch is common among pilots, it requires time and dedication, especially for beginners.
Lau Yoke Wee, founder of Drone for Speed (DFS) Racing, has first-hand experience with the steep learning curve. He took up flying drones a decade ago when the concept was still novel in Malaysia.
“Back in college, I was drawn to hobbies that involved flying but, at the time, remote-controlled (RC) helicopters were the only option,” he says.
With limited resources as a student, he bought an RC helicopter for RM500. Then, frequent crashes and high repair costs led him to abandon the hobby. But fate had other plans. After completing his studies and working in the US for a year, Lau revisited his interest in flying. While watching RC helicopter tutorials on YouTube, he discovered drones.
“They had four propellers and could go very fast. That intrigued me, so I started researching the materials needed to build one,” he says.
Lau lacked proper guidance, making the learning process challenging. At the time, drone building was mostly confined to university projects. While the concept of hovering drones existed, racing drones flown like jet pilots were still rare.
Despite spending a year training himself, flying remained difficult. “Every flight resulted in broken parts. Repairing the drone overnight became routine. I spent a lot of time and money testing different components,” he says.
Drones have since evolved with automation, where algorithms help motors spin propellers correctly. Still, racing drones endure frequent crashes, often damaging parts such as arms, lenses and circuits.
“Arms are easily repairable, but if the drone lands in water, circuits can fry. If a motor jams, the others continue spinning and burn out,” explains Viki Baarathi, founder and race director of Underground KL FPV Drone Racing Malaysia.
While propellers are disposable, the most expensive component is now the video transmitter. “Previously, speed controllers were costly. Now, high-definition video transmission has become the priciest component,” says Viki, an FPV drone racer.
He met Lau during the pandemic, and they bonded over drone racing. As head of digital innovation at Maxis Broadband Bhd, Viki was involved in the company’s early drone initiatives for tower inspections.
Video transmitters allow racers to connect to a video feed via goggles. Instead of Bluetooth or WiFi, the goggles use video signal frequencies, akin to old TV antennas.
“WiFi has range and latency issues. Real-time transmission is crucial in racing and cinematography to prevent signal loss,” Viki explains.
The high cost and complexity of building drones deter many beginners. “Kids start out enthusiastic but often crash too frequently and give up,” says Viki.
To address this matter, he developed a custom drone configuration or tune and a cloud based scoring platform which allows pilots to focus on flying while lowering costs and making the hobby more accessible. As Lau and Viki struggled to source components, they decided to develop their own drone frames. This initiative reduced reliance on external suppliers, cutting costs and improving quality.
Building the wings of tomorrow
Both Viki and Lau are deeply involved in the drone racing community. Together with Dr Jaysuman Pusppanathan, a senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Malaysia’s Drone Racing team manager, they aim to build a self-sustaining drone racing ecosystem.
Beyond cost reduction, Viki wants to set up a structured platform for organising races, tracking pilot performance and fostering a community.
“Few organisers were hosting races purely for the community. That’s where I stepped in,” he says.
They host weekend races, with pilots such as Norarisya Zuraidy participating (see “Soaring together”). While race hosting costs are manageable, a reliable timing system is crucial.
“Tracking drones on a course was a major challenge. Commercial timing systems cost around RM2,000; so, we developed our own,” says Viki.
He contributed to an open-source timing system, enabling others to build their own. “I make it available at cost price plus a small fee. Clubs in Tawau, Johor, Sarawak and Kelantan have started forming their own racing groups,” he adds.
To unify the community further, Viki is working towards establishing a Malaysian MultiGP drone racing chapter. MultiGP, a global drone racing league, standardises race organisation and scoring.
“Previously, Malaysian MultiGP chapters operated in isolation, without a proper league or scoring system. I aim to streamline it,” he explains.
Viki spent three years observing the drone racing scene before establishing a formal chapter with a structured timing and scoring system.
“This convinced others to support us. Eventually, we formed the national team with [Cyberjaya developer] Cyberview Sdn Bhd as a sponsor,” he says.
Entities such as the Malaysian Sports Aviation Federation (MSAF), Futurise Sdn Bhd and private organisations have since lent their support, further propelling the growth of the local drone racing community.
Looking ahead, Viki and Lau are also working on securing proper training grounds and have been in talks with organisations such as University Putra Malaysia and Futurise to build a solid infrastructure.
As Viki reflects on how the community has grown over the past few years, he hopes to continue improving the sport’s structure and creating more opportunities for its development.
Soaring together
Norarisya Zuraidy, better known as Arisya, began her drone racing journey just two years ago, guided every step of the way by her father, Zuraidy Shamsudin, who is a seasoned drone instructor at The Centre for Instructor and Advanced Skill Training. CIAST is an agency under the Ministry of Human Resources, which specialises in training instructors in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
For Arisya, 17, FPV drone racing started in the virtual world. “I began by learning on a simulator before transitioning to manual mode with my dad’s freestyle drone,” she says. Seeing her enthusiasm grow, her father bought her first racing drone from DFS Racing, a local supplier of premium FPV drone parts.
Beyond racing drones, Arisya also flies Tiny Whoops — small FPV drones with propeller guards designed for indoor flying. But mastering drone racing is not just about passion; it demands relentless training and a deep understanding of aerodynamics, control and momentum. “At first, I focused on navigating obstacles more precisely while trying not to crash,” she says.
As one of the few female racers in a male-dominated sport, she faced unique challenges. “When I started, there was a lot of pressure to perform well. I was an underdog because I was the only girl racing at the time,” she says.
Her participation in competitions eventually earned her academic recognition. Seeing the educational value of drone racing, her school and the district education department awarded her curriculum points for her achievements. “That was a big boost because she was later recognised as the best co-curricular leader in the female category,” says Zuraidy.
Arisya’s growing presence in the drone community led to an invitation to perform a drone gimmick show at the Petaling Utama Innovative Conference on Education 2024 at SJK (C) Puay Chai 2. But her success did not come easily. “In the beginning, she crashed a lot, and it was tough. We had to focus on improving her speed and control, which required a significant investment,” Zuraidy admits.
Training sessions take place every weekend, with the father-daughter duo constantly refining track layouts to push her limits. Initially, frequent battery swaps added to costs, but as her precision improved, so did efficiency.
This year, however, training has taken a back seat as Arisya prepares for her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations. “I’m slowing down a bit this year to focus on my studies,” she says, adding that her training sessions have been reduced from four to five hours a day to just two.
While local and international drone racing events offer some sponsorship opportunities, financial barriers remain.
Despite the challenges, Zuraidy remains optimistic about the sport’s future. “Parents are starting to see the benefits of drone racing, especially in promoting STEM education. For children such as Arisya to pursue it seriously, however, they need strong family support,” he says.
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