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This Could Be the Largest Synchronized Quadrocopter Drone Swarm Ever

Sep. 5, 2012 1:03pm Liz Klimas

We’ve seen the 20 mini-quadrotor drones from the GRASP Lab out of the University of Pennsylvania fly creepily in unison. Now, the world of quadrocopter swarming gets even more intense as the number of them in this new video has more than doubled — and they’re flying at night.

Gizmodo describes the formation of 49 AscTec Hummingbird quadrocopters by Ars Electronica Futurelab and Ascending Technologies GmbH as “unnerving.”

“It gets even creepier when the quadrocopters team up and become a giant swarm, morphing into different shapes like a living organism,” Gizmodo’s Casey Chan writes.

The quadrocopters swarm up and around, change color and appear almost like stars in the night sky. The drones also make impressive movements collectively for a 3-D effect. Here are a few screenshots but watch the video to see how their synchronized formation allows them to form 3-D shapes.

The Cloud in the Web by Ars Electronica Futurelab and Ascending Technologies Creates 3 D Shapes From 49 Quadrocopters

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Check it out:

DVICE reports that the show — The Cloud in the Web — could be the highest number of synchronized quadrocopters to date.

“It’s definitely the highest number we’ve ever seen,” it states.

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Comments (49)

DRAGONSEED
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 1:07am
Who is paying for this cr*p?

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- muffythetuffy
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 9:08am
  SHOOT THEM DOWN
  
  They are a threat to human life.
  
  Report this comment
semihardrock
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 9:58pm
All those “crazy rednecks” who’ve ever seen a UFO…..here u go. Who knew it was “Homeland Security all along…PLANNED way in advance BEFORE 9/11

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- BlessedONE333
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 11:18pm
  semihardrock === this is just another military use of technology
  
  this is NOT UFO TECHNOLOGY
  
  nope – not even close. However, this type of technology is one small part of the coming PROJECT BLUEBEAM event – the false UFO disclosure lie that the NWO will bring soon enough.
  
  THIS is just how they trip people up to thinking ‘ufo’ reports could be false.
  
  WATCH CHUCK MISSLER ON UFO/NEPHILIM
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9veMGPsfiQ
  
  and remember… SATAN IS A LIAR
  
  Report this comment
TheRooster
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 7:40pm
Uhhh Nowhere does it mention altitude. What’s different from radio controlled air planes except features (ie: vertical takeoff and landing).
The same jammers that keep your cell phone from working in a casino will kill this baby.

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- sillyfreshness
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 9:32pm
  This is something right out of the Terminator movies.
  
  Report this comment
KenshinDragon
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 5:11pm
Since this is another discussion on drones, I of course must make comment. Once again I am the President of the only Non-Profit / Non-Governmental Organization in the country who is working to use drones to support (ONLY on an as needed basis) Law Enforcement, Search & Rescue, and Emergency Services.

We are not airborne just yet, but getting closer every day. We DO NOT believe in routine surveillance of the General Public, but rather specific use short term deployments. Not only can the technology be used to help improve officer safety, but it can also be used to help them to protect the public they are supposed to be serving.

And since we are NOT beholden to any Government agency of any kind (not taking Local, State, or Federal dollars) we have complete discretion as to when and where to fly. If any of you would like to learn more about what we plan to do, please feel free to contact me via our website:

http://www.flyaser.com

I know many of you may disagree with me, but I still want to hear from all of you.

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- martyinhagerstown
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 5:21pm
  I am interested in systems that jam the RF controls and the best way to install a surveillance system to warn of their presence over my property and then the most effective way to shoot them down if they are over my house or acreage.
  
  Report this comment
- KenshinDragon
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 5:29pm
  There are many short and long range RF jamming systems that are either readily available or you can build them pretty easily. As for shooting them down, I will tell you that the ones we will be deploying will generally be operated below 300 feet and as such, a couple of well place 12g shotgun rounds should be more then enough to down nearly any Quad-Copter style UAVs.
  
  Hope that answers at least some of your questions.
  
  Report this comment
- Charb
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 2:19pm
  Dragon: Ha! Thanks for the honest answer to Marty’s (perhaps also honest) question. I’m studying to learn how UAVs can assist in fire, rescue, and private use; based here in Utah (and am also against police using these for simple surveillance (such as sought for in Ogden, UT).
  
  Report this comment
eagledown
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 4:30pm
Just a matter of time when a drone is responsible for taking down a commercial airline.

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schroeder123
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 4:18pm
Fake.

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TheMajority
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 3:56pm
I plan on moving to a rural area again soon, with 10 to 15 acres of my own. If I see any drone flying over my property (and I don’t care who ownes them), and I can reach it with my 12 gauge, it is coming down via “magazine dump”.

Technology changes, but my right to privacy does not.

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SITDOWNANDSHUTUP
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 3:54pm
Oops…..almost all of the UFO videos on YouTube just went obsolete.

Oooooo…..look at that…..lights in the sky…….near an airport…….must be aliens.

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Black Manta
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 3:53pm
You will soon find out, that this technology mimics the fallen angels that rule the bankers…Don’t be fooled…The fallen angels are real…which they are VERY evil…

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Delores at CH WV
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 2:53pm
Will there ever be peaceful skies again?

Why would anyone want these artifical lights in the skies over their community? What purpose do these robots serve? This is a waste of energy and money when there is an increase in hungry citizens: 59.4 M citizens on food stamps in America alone. No new jobs in sight; Drought, limited available food to save America or the world.

God, what a waste of money for any government to use funds to play at War Games instead of storing food to save human life. God, we are really a lost society.

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- OhioRifleman
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 3:29pm
  @ Delores
  
  Point out to me where in the Constitution the government is supposed to feed the people.
  
  Optional: also point out to me where the government is supposed to wipe the people’s arses. Libs seem to think that is also supposed to be the function of Government, and everything in between those two points, so…
  
  My point is thus: you’re mistaking humanitarian desire for government function. It’s a common affliction in those who are used to believing everything in existence is supposed to be goodwill and compassion. You can be all manner of humanitarian you want to be, and I have no place to comment nor impede on such actions or desires. That said, I do have a sj1tload of tax money in this game you seem to think is necessary, and unlike you I know it is not the function of government to do either of the two above tasks.
  
  Don’t f%cking waste other people’s tax money in your quest to be holier than the rest of us. It is rather annoying.
  
  Report this comment
- ZaphodsPlanet
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 3:46pm
  @Delores
  
  I couldn’t agree with Ohiorifleman more. And for an added bonus why don’t you try pulling your head out of your a$$ for 2 seconds to actually read the article. Project was done by private company… in GERMANY dummy!!!!
  
  Report this comment
- txjb
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 5:36pm
  Ohio and Saph , I would think that this private co. obtained dollars from some government and don’t think the U.S. haven’t spent dollars for a private co. right here to build these things. These drones are made to watch all citizen activities and are in the air now and are owned by the U.S. government . And why do you two think it’s cool to talk vulgar ? You sound like those democrats .
  
  Report this comment
- OhioRifleman
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 8:27pm
  @ TXJB
  
  The video shown has nothing to do with any government function. Just a bunch of guys playing around with quadrotors and light effects. AFAIK, it was just a science experiment. That said, I do concede that somewhere, somehow, some government is funding quadrotor dev for recon purposes, but again I don’t see any such link in this video or article.
  
  As to my use of profanity, it is not out of a desire to be cool, it is called frustration. I grow wearied of people thinking it is a government function to feed the ‘starving masses’ on the taxpayer’s dime. I am truly wearied of all the waste, redundancy and unconstitutional excess in government. Occasionally I vent on this subject, and this afternoon was one such occasion.
  
  BTW, you’d be surprised how often a little profanity works as an attention-getter when you’re trying to explain things to someone who is less than inclined to listen to you. Shock value and all that.
  
  Report this comment
pap pap
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 2:49pm
Future Shock. It’s cool they can do that but what else are they doing ?? Where is our right to privacy ??

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- Rampart
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 3:59pm
  They make AWESOME skeet targets!
  
  Report this comment
FlamingFartSyndrome
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 2:46pm
I feel high.

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- Coloradozo
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 4:16pm
  Me too.. I don’t know if it was the music or the shinny little dot’s.. but now I want some twinkies..
  
  Report this comment
Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 2:42pm
When will a terrorist place explosives on a swarm of these and put them ino the path of an airliner, taking off? I probably sholdn’t be giving them ideas, but they probably, already think that way.

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BurntHills
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 2:10pm
armed drones, armed miltary choppers above our neighborhoods and downtowns, our own military tanks rumbling down our streets with unsmiling armed military troops marching by, now the almost-covertly purchased 1.6 Billion rounds of organ-dissolving lethal hollow point ammo, don’t forget that obama needed to pass that out to his federal ‘private army’. and don’t forget that report that came out.. it’s all obama orders for “civil unrest” in case “TEA Party insurgents” oppose obama.

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BurntHills
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 2:06pm
we’ve had squadrons of some sort of black ops choppers coming over –very very slow and low– in the middle of the night out in the Great Plains, very much lower than the military jets that always frequently practiced dogfights over our ranch [the jets are a great air show too]. we figure the choppers are on their way to Wichita Kans, or maybe even Ft Crook or Alliance in Neb. never saw anything like these black ops choppers around here before. nowhere around here they could be practicing, we’d know it, those birds are unreal LOUD.

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- Voice1percent
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 10:03pm
  Well burnthills if you have a wireless ‘puter it might be they are honing in on your anti government signal. Watch you post…they are watching and listening.
  
  Report this comment
Nasado
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 1:52pm
I wonder how many UFO reports were placed that night?

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- HI_Don
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 4:42pm
  Exactly what I was thinking. Must have drove the 911 switchboard nuts.
  
  Report this comment
blyx
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 1:47pm
…Pull!…

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- Kate364
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 1:59pm
  brilliant!
  
  Report this comment
- 762x51
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 3:18pm
  You’re going to need more than an over/under for that swarm.
  
  Report this comment
- lel2007
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 3:59pm
  Windage and elevation BLYX, windage and elevation.
  
  Report this comment
samtree
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 1:44pm
That would be a damn fun sport to have quadrocopter wars in paint ball parks. Copter battling copter and also paintball players trying to shoot them down with their paintball guns. Fun!!

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- oldjackpinesavage
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 2:15pm
  And how long after that will there be drones to kill people with a .30 cal bullet, one shot one kill. When will they come up with a drone drone killer? Whatwe need is an anti drone weapon so these things can be neutralezed in the air and on the ground. Until they can be neutralized on detection they they should be consideed highley dangerous to life and limb and rights.
  
  Report this comment
- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 3:26pm
  Something to scramble the wireless operation of these drones, unless they make them self-operable.
  Program them and let them go, but I doubt AI is that advanced, yet.
  
  Report this comment
UseReasonNotMagic
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 1:44pm
Soon to replace fireworks?

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dont_drive_slow_in_the_left_lane_obliviot
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 1:32pm
Looks like a lot more fun than my day job.

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- JerryNic
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 1:50pm
  I agree, more fun than my day job. May be a good company to invest in.
  
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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 1:29pm
These things remind me of the Phoenix Lights of a few years back.

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DeOppressoLiber
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 1:22pm
http://www.washingtonguardian.com/ballot-buck-passing

Please read it has to do with military not getting support to vote. Dempsey where is the leadership?

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- momrules
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 2:28pm
  Hmmm……….it seems as though someone does not want our military men and women to vote in this election.
  
  This Is very important but unsurprising news.
  
  Report this comment
- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 2:48pm
  Contrast that with those who oppose the voter ID laws. They are disenfranchising our soldiers their right to vote, and in much larger numbers. Call your representatives, this is cheating.
  
  Report this comment
OhioRifleman
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 1:22pm
The quadrotors were kinda cool, but the music this video is set to was…meh at best, more like bog.

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DeOppressoLiber
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 1:18pm
I love technology but time is running out and this is more important please read.

http://www.washingtonguardian.com/ballot-buck-passing

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- 762x51
  Posted on September 5, 2012 at 3:36pm
  Actually there is a very good tactical use for these devices against our enemy government. Surveillance of the enemy is extremely important intel in any tactical situation and these can be used for that purpose very effectively. Anyone planning to conduct combat operations against this rogue government would be well served by these devices.
  
  Know where the enemy is how they are positioned and plan your attack accordingly.
  
  Report this comment
G.E.R
Posted on September 5, 2012 at 1:17pm
3 dimensional objects making 3 dimensional shapes…great reporting Liz

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