Drones

100 drones fly in formation to set new Guinness World Record

100 drones fly in formation to set new Guinness World Record
Further to offering quite a spectacular light show, the achievement could have some significance in advancing drone technology
Further to offering quite a spectacular light show, the achievement could have some significance in advancing drone technology
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Weighing around 700 grams (24.7 oz) apiece, the fleet carried out a choreographed routine across seven minutes
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Weighing around 700 grams (24.7 oz) apiece, the fleet carried out a choreographed routine across seven minutes
Intel's grand vision was to light up the night sky with a record-setting squadron of quadcopters in synchronized flight
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Intel's grand vision was to light up the night sky with a record-setting squadron of quadcopters in synchronized flight
An Guinness World Records judge was on site to verify the record
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An Guinness World Records judge was on site to verify the record
Further to offering quite a spectacular light show, the achievement could have some significance in advancing drone technology
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Further to offering quite a spectacular light show, the achievement could have some significance in advancing drone technology
View gallery - 4 images

Intel has teamed up Austria's Ars Electronica Center to set a new world record for the most drones to be airborne simultaneously. The display saw 100 unmanned aerial vehicles take flight in pre-programmed formation, offering onlookers an impressive light show synchronized to the sounds of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

The feat has been a few years in the making. The Ars Electronica Futurelab, a center for researching new forms of cyberart, set out in 2012 to program huge fleets of quadcopters to fly together in formation. The team found some initial success in September of that year lighting up the sky with 50 LED-equipped drones over the Danube river. A line of aerial art pieces then followed in locations around the world from Sweden to Australia, leading Intel to come knocking in 2014 Intel with an idea called Drone 100.

Intel's grand vision was to light up the night sky with a record-setting squadron of quadcopters in synchronized flight. On November 4, 2015, a crew of 15 people turned this into a reality, launching 100 drones over Ahrenlohe Airfield near Hamburg, Germany, with LEDs fitted to their body. Weighing around 700 grams (24.7 oz) apiece, the fleet carried out a choreographed routine across seven minutes, before forming a 250-meter wide (820 ft) Intel Logo for its grand finale.

A Guinness World Records judge was on site to verify the record, which carries the official title of the Most Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) airborne simultaneously. A video of the spectacle was then presented at CES, during Intel CEO Brian Krzani's keynote on the opening day.

Intel's grand vision was to light up the night sky with a record-setting squadron of quadcopters in synchronized flight
Intel's grand vision was to light up the night sky with a record-setting squadron of quadcopters in synchronized flight

Further to offering a quite spectacular light show, the achievement could have some significance in advancing drone technology given the potential of autonomous drone swarms in areas ranging from defense to construction to city maintenance and even bridge building.

"Together with Intel, we've opened a door, but what lies beyond it is something we can make out only vaguely today," says Horst Hörtner, director of the Ars Electronica Futurelab.

You can see the spectacular drone display in the video below.

Source: Ars Electronica

Drone display sets world record for most UAVs airborne simultaneously

View gallery - 4 images
8 comments
8 comments
Buzzclick
...and the drones managed not to touch each other while maneuvering?
Pretty good. They must have had lots of practice in prep.
rdp
"And in other news, on November 5 the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt confiscated 100 unregistered drones in the largest sweep to date." :)
habakak
Fantastic! Now to create 'fireworks' shows with this. You can create any pattern and the show can go on as long as the drones have enough juice to stay in the air. Provide the 'explosive' sounds with a massive sound system. It's more environmentally friendly (not that it matters) and you can run countless shows with the same drones (instead of having to buy explosives for each show). A huge cost saver.
Agrajag
I'm envisioning this augmented/replacing fireworks displays
ezeflyer
Awesome!
unklmurray
Just think "big Brother" is watching showing us a display of power,Talk about "Crowd control" I can visualize our government using drones to keep tabs on and controlling certain groups of people........
WB1200
Should have been the music from Close Encounters.
Basi Menon
Great job Intel Think straight! These efforts are just the thing a nasty extremist needs to plan a huge event flying 100 plus heavy duty drones carrying Explosive devices (shall we call them bombs!!) into some hugely sensitive or populated area to cause untold destruction. Maybe you could turn your policies around and assist develop technology (see what Airbus industries have done to offer a means to disable/capture rogue drones) that would make it possible authorities to protect the public and installations from extremists using drones.