Intel’s drone-making efforts have paid off really well. The chip maker has won a Guinness World Record for flying the most unmanned aerial vehicles at the same time.
Focus on drones and IoT
Guinness said Intel is the only company that was able to fly 100 small, light-equipped drones simultaneously, creating an interesting array of light in the sky. The event took place in November, but the news broke last week at CES. Also some of those drones were put on display at CES in an event called the “drone rodeo.”
Guinness posted a video showing the 100 drones performing a light show coordinated by Intel software, and on the ground there are people playing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. It was a publicity stunt for sure, but it is still fun to watch. It also proved that drone swarms are easier to control than ever.
Though Intel is not going to get any help in selling its products from the Guinness World Record, it does indicate company’s focus. Expanding its presence in drones and the Internet of Things (IoT) has been at the chip maker’s focus for the last couple of years. Intel believes that these two industry growth areas will play a critical role in shaping its future as a decline is being witnessed in the sale of computers and servers that rely on its chips.
Intel’s arch-rival Qualcomm is also working on drones, and it is expected that several other major firms will also join the drone race.
Intel – the most talked brand at CES
Owing to such achievements, Intel won the award for the most talked-about brand at this year’s CES with 51,000 mentions. The chip maker said that it had entered into a partnership with drone experts like Yuneec to put its RealSense technology in the new Typhoon H drone.
At the event, the chip maker also showcased an extendable, ride-on segway that doubles as a robo-butler. This robo-butler has Intel’s RealSense camera, which helps it get a greater sense of spatial depth when tracking and mapping, while Intel’s Atom processor powers the machine.
On Monday, Intel shares closed up 1.75% at $32.06. Year to date, the stock is down by almost 7%, while in the last month, it is down by over 6%.
