Cambodian students test prototype manned drone
This student in Cambodia is flying through the air sitting in a school chair, strapped to eight propellers.
It's a prototype drone designed to ferry humans and was developed by students at the National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
Dubbed the "NPIC Human Carrier Drone", the drone is in the early stages of development and testing.
The protoype can carry just one person weighing 60kg, and fly as high as 4 metres for just 10 minutes.
Students have taken three years and $20,000 to build the drone.
They estimate they need at least two more years before it's completely ready and fully tested.
21-year-old Lonh Vannsith was the pilot.
He says he was inspired at first by a desire to beat his city's notorious traffic.
"We had this idea that we wanted to solve some problems for our society by making a drone taxi, as well as inventing drones for firefighters to help put out fires.
For example, for high-rise buildings that the average fire truck can't reach, this drone could transport the water or at least it could carry the water hose to very high floors on the building."
The school plans to build a drone prototype, focused on fighting fires.
That project may cost up to $40,000.
They admit, the global health crisishas severely delayed testing and development of the original prototype.
The university is trying to secure more investment for the project.
