The 28-propeller Aerones's drone lifted skydiver Ingus Augstkalns to a height of 330 metres, where he accomplished the jump. YouTube / Aerones
It could be the next big thing in extreme sports - "drone-diving".
Daredevil skydiver Ingus Augstkalns was lifted 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.
"In the near future, our technology will save human lives, will help fight fires and carry out other challenging and significant work," said Jānis Putrāms, chief engineer of Aerones and a pilot of the drone.
"With this project, we show that we are ready for serious tasks in the field of civil defense and sports."
Lativa-based Aerones, which is a drone manufacture focused on developing these devices with high lifting power, conducted their secret 'drone diving' operation in an isolated part of the Baltic state.
Preparation for the jump lasted six months and during that time, the team increased the payload up to 200kg and conducted a number of tests, including flights carrying Augstkalns over the river Daugava.
The super-powered drone measures 34 feet (3.2sqm), boasts 16 rotors and weighs 70 kilograms, the Daily Mail reported.
The incredible video of the "drone-dive" shows the drone taking off from a body of water and head towards a communication tower, which stands 120 metre tall, where Augstkalns was waiting at the top.
Augstkalns grabbed a long handle hanging from the drone, which took him off the platform and into the air.
Once the drone reached 330 meters, he let go and fell to the earth for a about one second before releasing a parachute.
The incredible video of the 'drone-dive' shows the drone taking off from a body of water and head towards a communication tower, which stands 393 feet (120 meter) tall, where Augstkalns was waiting at the top. Photo / Aerones
"Emotions are fantastic. Both feeling how easily and quickly the drone lifted me, and because Latvia proves itself in innovations of technology," Augstkalns said.
"It is obvious that we will experience an increasingly important use of drone in our everyday life.
"Definitely also my friend skydivers all over the world will be excited about these opportunities."
The same drone was used in January to debut "drone-boarding" by towing snowboarders at high speed across a frozen Latvian lake.
A video shared by the firm showed a snowboarder test out the drone at an abandoned airbase.
The man was towed away with ease and is seen gliding through the snow, with the giant quadcopter controlling the pace.
Aerones's massive drone cost $55,700 to build and for now, flight times are restricted to around 10 minutes using on-board batteries.
In theory the top speed is around 150 kilometers per hour, but piloting becomes difficult at that velocity, so drone-boarding and drone-diving daredevils have to make do with speeds of around 60 kph.
