Dronemaker DJI has already opened physical stores in China and South Korea, but now it's expanding its consumer outreach with its first ever 'drone arena.' The 1,395-square-meter arena will open later this month in Yongin, a city in the south of Seoul's greater metropolitan area. DJI says the indoor venue will be kitted out with safety nets, an LED-light circuit for advanced pilots, and support for first-person-view flying. There'll also be a small workshop for carrying out minor repairs.

Drone racing leagues can book the whole arena

Moon Tae-hyun, DJI's manager in South Korea, said the company wants to make drones "more accessible and easier to learn," and that the venue will be available to individual and group bookings. UAV clubs and skilled pilots can also book the arena for drone racing events, and more advanced tutorials. "We hope to provide a safe and fun environment for people to experience the technology first hand, whether they are skilled enthusiasts or someone who is just curious to learn," says Moon.

It's an interesting expansion of DJI's physical presence, and it'll be interesting to see how popular the arena is. After all, as drones and drone racing becomes increasingly mainstream, many young pilots will be looking for a safe place to fly. If you're stuck in the middle of a city, then these might be few and far between. Maybe one day a drone arena will be as standard in any big city as a sports stadium.