Self-made 3D printing + carbon fiber
Created a drone with a speed of 340 kilometers per hour
“Backpack-level” drone
Set a Guinness World Record
Faster than high-speed rail, with all designs open-sourced
……
Shenzhen junior student’s “incredible project”
Has netizens exclaiming:
Shenzhen students are just too advanced
Recently, Xu Yang, an undergraduate student at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) set a Guinness World Record with his self-made micro-drone PROWESS,becoming the world’s fastest micro-drone record holder.
This student-made remote-controlled micro quadcopter weighs only 247 grams,but can reach a speed of 340 kilometers per hour, also referred to by netizens as having “high-speed rail speed”.
Currently, Xu Yang has open-sourced the design of PROWESS, hoping to inspire more people to explore. The innovative ideas of Shenzhen students have attracted the attention and support of nine drone industry companies from across the country, who have contacted Xu Yang to provide customized components.
Xu Yang’s forward-looking scientific innovation practice has also caught the attention of two academic leaders, who praised him for showcasing the innovative capabilities and responsibilities of Chinese youth.
Speed Challenge
Independently completed drone development
Set a Guinness World Record
“I completed the design, assembly, and testing all by myself,” Xu Yang recalled, inspired by the insufficient speed of other aircraft, he began designing the FPV drone (First Person View) PROWESS in October 2024, aiming to challenge the speed limits of micro-drones.
According to various performance indicators, drones can be classified as micro, light, small, medium, and large. Micro drones have an empty weight of less than 0.25 kilograms. Currently, the maximum flight speed of ordinary micro drones is 50-60 kilometers per hour.
“The faster the speed, the higher the technical level of the micro drone,” Xu Yang explained. Increasing the speed of drones can enhance their endurance and payload capabilities, which is of great significance. Therefore, all designs of PROWESS are focused on speed enhancement.
“The propeller pitch of drones on the market is too small, and the high-speed efficiency is extremely low. Achieving a speed of 300 kilometers per hour is almost a fantasy.” In the early stages of development, Xu Yang had no experience in propeller design, and was somewhat at a loss about self-developing propellers, but he decided to “just do it first”.
Later, he explored and improved the high-speed propeller design, eliminating unnecessary screw holes in the blades, reducing weight with carbon plates… After multiple detailed improvements, the testing speed of PROWESS increased to 312 kilometers per hour. “A foreign blogger set the fastest flight speed of a micro drone at 219 kilometers per hour in 2022,and my prototype broke that speed on its first test flight.”
After five months of development and testing, on March 23 of this year, PROWESS achieved a final speed of 340.78 kilometers per hour during the Guinness World Record challenge test, and even reached 358 kilometers per hour with a tailwind! The result was recognized by the “Guinness World Records”,and Xu Yang became the world’s fastest micro-drone record holder.
After achieving impressive results with the self-made aircraft, Xu Yang chose to open-source the design drawings,sharing the research and development data with enthusiasts worldwide. “This allows others to create drones almost identical to PROWESS.” He hopes to inspire more people to take on this speed challenge through open-sourcing.
Geek Charm
University professors actively “approach”
Invited to participate in AI robot development
Xu Yang, born in 2002 in Jiangmen Taishan, grew up in Shenzhen, and studied at Baihua Primary School, Shenzhen Experimental School’s junior and senior high school. He is now a junior student majoring in Electronic Computer Engineering at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), a scientific innovation star nurtured in Shenzhen.
Recalling his elementary and middle school life, he said teachers encouraged him to pursue his scientific innovation interests,“but to prioritize learning.” He also has a deep impression of the technology festival at Shenzhen Experimental School’s junior high, which was very beneficial, “students were highly engaged, and the projects were very scientifically interesting.”
“I find flying itself quite enjoyable. When controlling the aircraft as it flies by, I feel a sense of interaction with nature.” Xu Yang was introduced to model aircraft in the fourth grade, and every time he saw a new model from a “model friend”, he would search online for information to expand his learning and communicate with professionals from across the country and even the world.
Upon entering high school, Xu Yang learned about FPV drones, and his interest quickly shifted to exploring drones. In college, he continued to pursue his hobby, using the 3D printers and welding equipment provided by the school, allowing him to complete drone production without leaving campus.
“Every time I see the flight data improving, I feel a great sense of accomplishment.” For him, researching drones is about exploring a pure passion, not for competition rankings or academic credits.
“I believe my designs are very unique, and creating these products is very enjoyable for me.” In his freshman year, Xu Yang designed a fixed-wing model aircraft that is small, lightweight, but has a lot of power, and is particularly agile compared to market models. “I made several videos introducing it and posted them on social media, which received very positive feedback.”
“PROWESS” prototype
“With a strong geek spirit and hands-on ability, Xu Yang is a self-taught student,” said Jin Yuhua, an assistant professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen). He discovered Xu Yang’s research capabilities in class and even proactively “approached” him to schedule time to discuss projects. Xu Yang is now involved in a project led by Jin Yuhua, where they are designing a flying robot to establish a human-machine interaction interface for natural communication between machines and humans.
The deep integration of technology and education has become a new trend in educational development.To ignite the innovative spark and exploratory enthusiasm of Shenzhen students, various educational departments and schools in Shenzhen have held diverse technology festivals and exhibitions in recent years, planting the seeds of technology for more students like Xu Yang who love scientific innovation.For example, the Shenzhen Education Bureau hosted a “Science Education & Social Collaboration” resource docking exchange activity to jointly create a vibrant field of multi-directional empowerment in technology, education, and culture; the Nanshan District Education Bureau organized a “Mobile Science Museum” campus tour activity, making cutting-edge technology accessible on campus.
Sky City
Online shopping for components delivered the next day
Accelerating R&D progress
Low-altitude economy
is a typical representative of new productive forces
Shenzhen is now accelerating the creation of a “Sky City”
and integrating the low-altitude economy with the aerospace industry cluster
into Shenzhen’s “20+8” industrial cluster
“Many urgently needed drone-related components can be delivered the next day, which can accelerate my R&D progress,” Xu Yang mentioned. The drone-related industry in Shenzhen is very dense, and most companies that provide the components he needs have factories or stores in Shenzhen, which greatly facilitates his access to relevant resources.
Currently, there are over 1,700 drone companies in Shenzhen, with the drone industry’s added value reaching 117 billion yuan, achieving the goal of“building a drone without leaving Shenzhen”.
During the development of PROWESS, Xu Yang needed to use a carbon fiber frame, sending the drawings to companies online, which would process them immediately upon receipt.“Some urgently needed products can be shipped the same day by manufacturers.” The material cost for each drone Xu Yang develops is 1,500-2,000 yuan (some parts are provided for free by companies), funded by his parents’ support.
“In terms of innovation technology incubation and industrial implementation, Shenzhen is a very good city in the national context,” Jin Yuhua believes. Shenzhen has many technology innovation companies and a strong atmosphere for scientific innovation, which can provide young students like Xu Yang with scientific innovation enlightenment, making it easier for them to transform theoretical knowledge into technology and products.
Industry Attention
Attracting support from 9 companies
“Bringing new development directions to the drone industry”
The characteristics of high speed and low cost
make PROWESS’s application have huge potential
It has thus
received attention and support from the industry
Xu Yang stated, since the development, nine upstream and downstream drone companies from across the country have contacted him,some providing 3D printer kits, some offering free custom motors, and others indicating they can unconditionally sponsor any equipment Xu Yang needs, such as video transmission and GPS, empowering youth growth with corporate strength.
“If in the future we can use more advanced processes to make propellers and pair them with slightly larger motors, I believe PROWESS can fly even faster.”
“When we learned that the test results of PROWESS were not ideal, we offered our batteries to Xu Yang for testing, and unexpectedly, he brought us such a big surprise!” The battery used during PROWESS’s record-setting was supported by a new energy technology company in Shenzhen. The company’s deputy general manager, Wang Zhenyuan, was quite surprised by PROWESS’s achievements.
“PROWESS has strong development potential, which has led more people to start paying attention to lightweight drones and seek cooperation with Xu Yang, which will inevitably drive more people to join the design and production of such drones,” Wang Zhenyuan believes.PROWESS and Xu Yang’s success “brings new development directions to the drone industry.” In the future, the company will provide Xu Yang with custom battery cells, hoping that continuous technological innovation will provide new “power” for PROWESS.
Wang Zhenyuan also stated that the company has been deeply involved in the battery field for 12 years and has witnessed the thriving scene of Shenzhen’s low-altitude economy industry. The reason the company chose to develop in Shenzhen was also due to the abundance of talent and more development opportunities. “Many of our peers are nearby, and we all help each other when needed, which lays a more stable foundation for the growth of the company.”
In addition to Shenzhen companies,a propeller design and manufacturing company located in Ningbo, Zhejiang, also reached out to Xu Yang. Before Xu Yang designed PROWESS, the company’s general manager, Cao Huazhong, had already noticed this “student who loves to design and tinker with drones.” Later, the company provided Xu Yang with custom propellers worth nearly ten thousand yuan.
“By assisting PROWESS in reaching its extreme speed, we can continuously improve our design capabilities and challenge the limits of hardware, seeking breakthroughs to elevate the entire industry,” Cao Huazhong said.
Academics Praise
Dreams and efforts can create miracles
Showcasing the innovative capabilities and responsibilities of Chinese youth
“This is not only a record-breaking product but also an innovative achievement with forward-looking significance.” Regarding PROWESS and Xu Yang, Xu Yangsheng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), expressed great satisfaction. “Not only does it bring glory to him personally, but it also adds luster to the scientific innovation of Chinese youth. I am very proud of him!”
Xu Yangsheng stated that Xu Yang’s achievements prove that dreams and efforts can create miracles,and his persistence and innovative spirit are a model for all students. He encourages Xu Yang and all students who love scientific research to maintain their curiosity, be brave to try, and dare to break conventions, “Every effort you make adds new possibilities to the world.”
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Tang Benzhong, was impressed by Xu Yang’s interdisciplinary integration ability, believing that this is not only a technological breakthrough but also a practice of the innovative spirit of “trial and error and iteration,” showcasing the core qualities of future innovative talents. He also mentioned that Xu Yang’s open-source design promotes technological sharing, builds communication bridges in the international scientific community, and reflects the open and innovative spirit of Shenzhen youth, “showcasing the innovative capabilities and responsibilities of Chinese youth.”
“Heroes emerge from youth!” When evaluating Xu Yang, Jin Yuhua excitedly stated that this once again demonstrates to the world that Chinese people have the ability to break the technological monopoly of other countries, and that Chinese talent is emerging!
When “PROWESS”
roars past at a speed of 340 km/h
It leaves behind not only the shock of breaking records
but also the innovative spirit of contemporary Shenzhen youth
who are brave to break through and eager to share
This journey of speed and innovation
is far from over
Cheers to Shenzhen student Xu Yang!
Editor: Zhu Xiaofang
Reviewed by: Wang Jun, Liu Yawei
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