Info about Drone Club at DEF CON 24

[TheCotMan]

I am not affiliated with this event and nothing I write is authoritative for it.

Sequoia is back for a second year sponsoring Drone Club!
Come participate in head to head drone battles between two identically sized UAV drones inside of a protective arena, drones attack each other until one is no longer viable. Round Robin format - Competition will initially be based upon a draw lottery, all contestants at the door upon start of the party will have names drawn from a hat, then as those draw down, a list will be maintained and participants called one at a time. Winners will compete against each other from a second round of drawings.

Participants can bring their own Blade NanoQX or Hubsan X4 drone (no models over 50 grams will be allowed). Each drone may not have any modifications to the frame (other than removing structural or other parts that would otherwise protect the drone from damage. Mods to the propellers will not be allowed (ie. no razor blades). Hacking the main board is encouraged, but any physical alterations (i.e. adding spikes, blades or other menacing appendages) is not allowed. Batteries must be the same physical size as the original – no piggyback batteries, no projectiles, or any other mod that would otherwise give a physical advantage in the fight. Managers of the space have unequivocal rights to reject any drone entry, either by physical appearance or by additional weight - although footage from onboard cameras will be highly beneficial. No attacking the opponent’s body (i.e. face – ala Enrique Eglasias) during a battle, even through the safety netting.

There are rules for Drone Club:
1st rule: You do not talk about Drone Club
2nd rule: You do NOT talk about Drone Club
3rd rule: If a drone or pilot can't continue, the fight is over
4th rule: Two drones go in the arena
5th rule: One drone comes out of the arena
6th rule: Drones must weigh under 50 grams without the battery
7th rule: Fights will continue until one drone is no longer viable - see rule #3
8th rule: Even if you are a seasoned drone pilot, everyone must perform a check flight

Artwork: TBD – upon selection this will be forwarded soonest…

Additional info: All spectators and participants must sign a waiver to protect the hotel, DefCon and sponsor. No participant or spectator shall enter the battlespace during an actual battle, anyone who does will be duct-taped to a chair inside the arena and subjected to air strikes from ALL participants (unless they refuse to sign a waiver).

Though they say they are back at DEF CON for a second year, I do not remember them being there last year. Maybe one of you remembers this as an event an can comment on where you saw it at a previous DEF CON.

[nosapoh]

Sequoia is back for a second year sponsoring Drone Club!

Last year we were a PARTY, this year an EVENT!!!

These ARE the drones you've been looking for...

Come participate in head to head drone races between two identically sized Hubsan X4 drones inside of a protective arena. Drones race each other through an obstacle course, confronted with multiple size and shape challenges. Competition will initially be seeded based upon a ticket given at the door to each person agreeing to the terms below. Participants will compete for prizes such as T-shirts, water bottles and other shwag.

Participants can bring their own Hubsan X4 or Blade NanoQX drone (no models over half a pound will be allowed). Each drone may be modified in any fashion to include FPV systems. Mods to the propellers will be allowed (but still, no razor blades or other flesh slicing upgrades). Hacking the main board is encouraged, and batteries may be modified to provide an advantage in the race. However, managers of the space have unequivocal rights to reject any drone entry, either by physical appearance or by additional weight - although footage from FPV or onboard cameras will be highly beneficial and social engineering efforts to sway management will be recorded for future mocking and/or publication. No attacking the opponent’s body during a battle, by kamikaze-style tactics or other intentional kinetic means.

All spectators and participants must sign a waiver to protect the hotel(s), DefCon and our sponsors. No spectator shall enter the netted arena during an actual battle. Only operators of the actual drone during a race may enter the protective netting, and will be required to wear eye protection. The hotels, DefCon, and sponsors are also not responsible for any damage to personal drones due to participating in this event.

At least one of the obstacles will be Ricky Hill’s (DC21) DJI Phantom, equipped with carbon fiber blades, hovering in front of a make-shift goal, challenging the opponent's smaller drone to make it past the churning rotors of death unscathed.

Hak5 will be joining us again this year, but this time as a sponsor! Darren, Shannon and crew will be bringing the Cube of Death, a 4 foot lucite box within which Drones will compete in one-on-one, or four-on-four free for alls! Four Drones go In, One comes Out!!

So keep your eyes open for announcements in the official DefCon literature or our Twitter feed (DroneWarzClub).