During his presentation, Dr. Lupashin of ETH Zurich attached a dog leash to an aerial drone while declaring to the audience, "there has to be another way" of flying robots safely around people. Lupashin's creativity eventually led to the invention of Fotokite and one of the most successful Indiegogo campaigns. Since Lupashin's demo, there are now close to a hundred providers of drones on leashes from innovative startups to aftermarket solutions in order to restrain unmanned flying vehicles. Probably the best known enterprise solution is CyPhy Works which has raised more than $30 million. Last August, during President Trump's visit to his Golf Course in New Jersey, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deployed CyPhy's tethered drones to patrol the permitter. In a statement by DHS about their "spy in the sky program," the agency explained: "The Proof of Concept will help determine the potential future use of tethered Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) in supporting the Agency's protective mission.

As the drone industry continues to grow, aerial enthusiasts are flying -- and leaping -- to new heights. Latvia-based company Aerones completed "the world's first drone jump" last week with their 28-propeller drone. Skydiver Ingus Augstkalns, who came up with the daring idea, used the top of a 393-foot communications tower as a launch pad. Augstkalns clung to handlebars suspended from the bottom of the aircraft as he rose to over 1,000 feet before letting go and deploying his parachute. "Emotions are fantastic," Augstkalns said in a statement.

Unlike typical consumer-aimed quadcopter drones, Latvian company Aerones specializes in big UAVs that can carry hefty loads. Last year, they showed off one of their big lifter's prowess by towing YouTuber Kaspars Balamovskis on a snowboarding run. Today, they released another stunt video spotlighting one of their heavy lifters hauling a man a thousand feet in the air -- before he let go to skydive back down to earth. Aerones' 28-rotor drone picked up skydiver Ingus Augustkalns from a tower before climbing to 330 meters, at which point he lets go to parachute to the ground. The not-so-typical video is one of several on Aerones' site that flex its drones' capabilities to pull off extreme stunts.

It could be the next big thing in extreme sports – 'drone-diving'. Daredevil skydiver Ingus Augstkalns was lifted 1,082 feet (330 meters) into the air by a 28-propeller drone, dropped and parachuted safely back to the earth. Although the feat makes for an entertaining spectacle, Aerones, the creator of the massive drone, foresees the unmanned aerial vehicle being used in rescue missions. It could be the next big thing in extreme sports – 'drone-diving'. The drone measures 34 feet (3.2sqm), boasts 16 rotors and weighs 154 pounds (70kg).

Snowboarders are pulled by a drone on a lake near Cesis, Latvia, in January. Snowboarders are pulled by a drone on a lake near Cesis, Latvia, in January. You may have heard of drone racing, but people keep coming up with new ways to enjoy these flying machines. One of the latest twists on drone sports comes from Latvia. A company called Aerones has developed a drone to use for droneboarding, a new sport that's just what it sounds like -- a snowboarder being pulled through the snow by a powerful drone.