AI racing drone MonoRace beats top human pilots in Abu Dhabi

Engineers at Delft University of Technology built MonoRace, an AI quadcopter that beat several human FPV champions at an international drone race in Abu Dhabi in November 2025. The system relies on a single camera and an IMU without GPS, with the research published in Science Robotics.

• MonoRace won on a track not tailored for AI
• The drone flies at 60–100 mph using one camera and an IMU without GPS
• Zurich's Swift AI drone had only beaten humans in a lab
• Details of the research appear in Science Robotics