Chinese firm breaks record with over 1,300 drones

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)

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.