This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
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On November 4, 2015, a marvelous sight appeared in the night sky near Hamburg, Germany at the Ahrenlohe Airfield. A team assembled by Intel and Ars Electronica Futurelab flew 100 unmanned drones above the Ahrenloe Airfield, not far from the city, creating series of extraordinary 3-D light sculptures, flashing and dancing to the soundtrack of a live orchestra playing below. The team broke the world record in a category few people have probably heard of: Most Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Airborne Simultaneously.