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Design

49 Hovering Quadrotors Make This The Biggest Flying Robot Performance Yet

Ars Electronica’s voestalpine Klangwolke event puts on an intense flying light show.

Is it just us or are quadrotors slowly taking over the world? Ever since these little four-propeller flying dudes appeared, they’ve gone from just being sweet toys to performing all types of tasks—forming bands, building structures, and most recently, a stint in showbiz. That last one must have struck the vanity chord for this flying race of robots, because they’re at it again.

Count ‘em—49 quadrotors doing a choreographed dance at Ars Electronica’s voestalpine Klangwolke event. Fitted with multicolored LEDs, these little choppers fly in formation with an accuracy that seems distinctly para-human, breaking apart and reuniting in ways that make you wonder if the stars are shifting.

Take the next four minutes or so to trip out to this amazing performance. If this increase in numbers keeps up, we’ll be watching a robotic Arirang in the sky in no time.

@ImYourKid