The mini flying robot drones that join forces before takeoff - all without human help [VIDEO]

Using infrared beams the drones are able to find each others' location and connect with one another using magnets, completely autonomously.

The individual vehicles - or quadrocopters - have fixed propellers that can lift them into the air, but the resulting flight is erratic and uncontrolled.

But once they are joined together these relatively simple little robots evolve into a sophisticated multi-propeller system capable of coordinated flight.

As well as a mini-propellor duct system for flying they also have little wheels underneath to let them crawl around the ground and find each other.

The group is able to keep itself level by using altitude sensors in each robot which speak to each other using infrared to make sure the flight is even.

Even if one of the robots in the swarm fails, the others are able to reposition themselves to keep the aircraft flying.

The exciting breakthrough is being developed by researches at the Swiss Institute of Technology in Zurich.