100 Dancing Intel Drones Set a Guinness World Record for Synchronized Flying 

Intel broke the world record for most unmanned aerial vehicles flying simultaneously with 100 drones dancing in unison over Germany on November 4, 2015. Now, the chip-maker has brought the show to the United States, demonstrating for the Federal Aviation Administration how its engineers can keep 100 drones flying in sync over the desert in Palms Springs, California. The goal is to bring these futuristic displays to ballparks, stadiums, and a host of other venues, but first the FAA needs to believe it’s safe.

The Drone 100 show seemed to go off without a hitch. And with Intel CEO and drone expert Brian Krzanich on the scene to observe, we’re pretty sure the team wasn’t taking any risks. In addition, a Guinness World Records film crew showed up to document the first American display of the dancing drones and record predictions about what’s in store for the future.

“We have visions of going from 100 to 1,000 over time,” says Krzanich. “I think that’s really what I see as the future.”

Of course, any kind of mechanical performance in the air will inspire both awe and anxiety from regulators. Intel had to get a special exemption just to dance the drones over a deserted desert alcove, so it may be some time until scores of robots rip it up during an NFL halftime show.

We’ve seen some pretty magical feats pulled off with drones before, but the sight of all those robots flying in sync is still striking. Drones are still relatively new machines, so as manufacturing becomes easier and technology makes even greater strides, fleets of these robots could become relatively common.

There’s something almost marshal about the unified performance, and there’s no doubt the military is savoring these advances just as much as we are.

The American debut of Drone 100 is undoubtedly impressive, but Intel really pulled out all the stops for its record-breaking performance in Germany. Played to the tune of a full orchestra, it is also bound to blow your mind.