Due to FAA regulations, drone are limited in size and power in the United States. But apparently not in Norway, which is now the home of a new record-setting superdrone called the Megakopter that recently snagged a Guinness World Record for hoisting just shy of 134.5 pounds.

Designed and built by students at the University of Oslo, Megakopter’s lifting capabilities come from the fact that it’s actually a Voltron-like mashup of eight smaller drones held together with a lightweight wood and aluminum frame. A set of four inflatable exercise balls also serves as squishy landing gear to lessen the impacts of rough landings.


In total, the Megakopter has 48 electric motors that keep it aloft, and its creators have been continuously working to improve and refine its design to make it more and more capable. Lifting 134.5 pounds for 30 seconds was enough to earn it the Guinness World Record for “Heaviest Payload Lifted by Remote-Controlled Multicopter,” but the Megakopter’s creators see that achievement as just a stepping stone towards their real goal: being able to one day climb aboard the craft and take it for a spin, instead of piloting it remotely from the ground.


[YouTube via Technabob]