Researchers have designed a fleet of artificially intelligent drones that have built a rope bridge which is strong enough to take the weight of a human.
The three quadcopters did not receive human input as they spanned two scaffolding towers set nearly 8 metres apart at the Flying Machine Arena in Zurich, Switzerland.
Researchers at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich fitted the drones with spools of Dyneema, a lightweight but tough plastic fibre.
The drones used onboard artificial intelligence and pre-programmed routine to reel out 120m of fibre between the two towers, flying in complex patterns to build the foundations and strengthen their structure, 'The Times' reported.
Two drones began construction by hovering in a circular motion around a horizontal beam on one of the scaffolding towers. As they flew, the fibre wound itself around the beam.
A third drone worked on the opposite scaffold to create the foot rail.
The demonstration hints at an autonomous future in construction, according to 'Quartz'.
"Flying machines offer a number of advantages compared to traditional construction machines," researchers said on the ETH Zurich's website.
"Specifically, they can reach any point in space and fly in or around existing objects," they said.
