Drone Swarms as You Know Them Are Just an Illusion--for Now

Look at all the pretty drones. Hovering above sports stadiums from Houston to Pyeongchang, many hundreds of them have lately sparkled in artful murmuration. The world record, 1,374 LED-bedazzled microbots, was set by Chinese company EHang UAV in May. So-called drone swarms--the phrase people have taken up with gusto--are having their biggest, buzziest year ever. It's an evocative word, swarms, and innocuous enough when applied to one of Intel's drone light shows.