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Chinese firm breaks record with over 1,300 drones

May 2, 2018

More than 1,300 illuminated drones flew simultaneously in a 13-minute flight over the Chinese tourist city of Xian. It's a new Guinness World Record.

https://p.dw.com/p/2x3pH
A total of 1,374 drones light up the sky in Xian in China
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Imaginechina/L. Qiang

Dancing drones break world record

Chinese drone company EHang flew 1,374 dancing drones simultaneously to break the Guinness World Record for the most unmanned aerial vehicles flown at the same time.

The drones took part in a 13-minute flight spread over a kilometer (.6 miles).

The previous record was held by US technology firm Intel, which flew 1,218 drones during the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February.

The stunning display in the Chinese tourist city of Xian saw the drones take on 16 different 3D formations, including a camel, a Buddha and a high-speed train.

The drones also paid tribute to Chinese President Xi Jinping's cornerstone foreign policy initiative, One Belt One Road.

EHang first grabbed headlines in 2016 when it unveiled a self-flying passenger aircraft. Earlier this year, the company said it had completed tests for the vehicle which is capable of carrying one person at speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour (80.7 mph).

ap/sms (Reuters)

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