Drones as Entertainment: what’s ahead for this emerging application?

From surveying and mapping to search and rescue efforts, drone technology is disrupting a host of industries. It begs the question: Is the entertainment industry next?

Large companies, such as Intel and Disney, have moved beyond drone entertainment as possibility…to reality.

Drone racing and aerial acrobatic displays may be some of the earliest forms of drone entertainment. However, with Intel and Disney entering the fray, the entertainment bar may be rising — literally.

In 2016, the companies revealed plans for a unique collaboration of a drone-based light show.

 

A flying light show…the beginnings

As one of the biggest tech companies in the world, it may come as no surprise that Intel developed its own UAV several years ago, dubbed the “Shooting Star”.

The frame of the Shooting Star is very lightweight due to its Styrofoam and plastic construction. And, most significantly, each drone is outfitted with LED lights which can produce billions of color combinations. This light versatility means the drones can create any number of images and displays; it makes them far more versatile than traditional fireworks.

Prior to the collaboration with Disney Resorts, Intel showcased its drones in a private light in Krailling, Germany. The show featured over 500 drones in the air at the same time. It was Intel Corp’s proof of concept and its entrance into the burgeoning drone entertainment market.

Then came its collaboration with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. The two companies worked together to create a spectacular light-show for the 2016 holidays. Entitled “Starbright Holidays – An Intel Collaboration”, the show took place at the Florida Resort location and was the public debut of Intel’s Shoot Star Drones.

The display featured everything from simulations of fireworks to the creation of holiday themed images like Christmas trees and snowflakes. Both companies claimed it was the biggest such display of its kind in the United States.

 

Drones: a cheaper way to entertain?

Drone-based entertainment may prove a cheaper and more exciting option once the initial outlay of required hardware and software is invested.

Traditional firework displays cost about $10,000 for a small town show. And for larger events, such as Macy’s Fourth of July show, the costs can soar to the millions of dollars.

Drone-based light displays provide a range of practical use cases including control by a single computer which cuts down on the manpower required to put on such a show. Another advantage is that, unlike firework displays, drones can be re-used over and over again.

 

Successful innovations multiply

As with any burgeoning innovation, drones as entertainment may also help research and development in other areas.

Though there are numerous companies working to develop new technologies, it helps when such a large company like Intel puts their resources behind funding such ground-breaking features. Eventually, such innovative advances also make their way to consumer grade drones once the technology becomes more affordable.

For example, in the past Intel manually pre-programmed each individual drone before it took to the skies. And when pre-programming involves hundreds of drones for just one show, it is simply not practical.

In order to address this inefficiency, Intel developed a software program and an algorithm that automatically determines each drones’ planned flight path.

The potential for this innovative software program and algorithm to benefit other drone applications, such as aerial photography, mapping or survey projects, is obvious.

 

Just the beginning?

Currently, Intel’s Shooting Star drone is not available for sale to the public. Intel does manufacture a commercial drone, the Falcon 8+, but the company may be keeping its shooting star drones to itself for now.

Only time will tell if shows like Intel and Disney’s UAV light show will gain momentum. However, it’s clear that particular event caused quite a stir. It is evident that unmanned aerial systems are becoming ever more versatile and for drones as entertainment this is just the beginning.