Pilotless planes and helicopters proved highlights at the ongoing Fifth China Beijing International High-tech Expo.

Known as "flying robot," the pilotless helicopter on display weighs 98 kilograms, is 3.6 meters long and less than 1.3 meters tall. It can fly for 10 kilometers at a height of 1,000 to 2,000 meters then return to its take-off point. The maximum speed is 140 kilometers per hour.

The flying robot has been used to take aerial photos of a highway for a TV series.

The Nanjing Research Institute on Simulation Techniques from east China's Jiangsu Province showed pictures of various pilotless planes it has developed. The planes can fly continuously for more than 10 hours.

The institute has independently developed a range of such planes able to fly in different conditions, such as extreme low-altitude, over the sea for maritime rescue work, and over mountains.

They can be used in aerial mapping, aerial photography, forest fire prevention, and traffic control.

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2002)