Buckle up: Cambodian students build manned drone to aid community

Students of the National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia prepare their manned drone for flight, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, September 17, 2021. REUTERS/Cindy Liu

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Inspired at first by a desire to beat their city's notorious traffic, a group of Cambodian students have designed a prototype drone that they hope can eventually be used to ferry people around Phnom Penh and even help fight fires.

With eight propellers and using a school chair for the pilot's seat, the drone was developed by students at the National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia (NPIC) on the outskirts of the capital.