A new driverless racing series using autonomous cars will launch next year.'RoboRace' will run in support of all-electric championship Formula E, and is slated to kick off at the start of the category's third season in autumn 2016. Like Formula E, RoboRace cars will use electric-powered vehicles.Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag believes the series will be "one of the most cutting-edge sporting events in history."10 teams, each with two driverless cars, will compete in one-hour races over the full 10-event season. All teams will use the same standard cars, but will compete using real-time computing algorithms and AI technologies.Formula E's current teams will be able to apply for a spot on the grid, while one of the teams will be crowdsourced.Formula E has partnered with investment company Kinetik to launch the series. Its founder, Denis Sverdlov, said RoboRace will provide "a global platform to show that robotic technologies and AI can co-exist with us in real life."While the competitive environment will help to develop autonomous driving technology, the series has questionable appeal for fans. Formula E's initial success owes a great deal to its grid of established drivers, who attract emotionally invested viewers to watch on TV. Removing the human element from the cars will provide a very different viewing experience and, at the very least, take some getting used to.