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One pilot flies 500 coordinated Intel light-show drones simultaneously

If you look up at a clear night sky and have a little luck on your side, you may just catch a glimpse of a shooting star -- or 500 Shooting Star drones dancing and flashing in the dark.

That was the scene in Germany earlier this month when Intel set a new Guinness World Record for "The Most UAVs Airborne Simultaneously." The stunt featured 500 of Intel's brand new Shooting star drones performing a synchronized routine and piloted by a single flyer (well, a single computer program, mostly).

Less than a year ago, Intel pulled off a similar (but smaller) feat; that time it sent up 100 drones. Daniel Gurdan, the engineering lead for Intel Shooting Star drones, said in an Intel post that flight height is limited by legal limitations, which usually means no more than 400 ft above ground in the U.S. He also explained that Shooting Star drones fly automatically and can maintain stability in wind speeds of up to 33 ft/sec. They're even splash-proof, so they can fly in light rain.

The Shooting Star drones are specifically designed to perform light shows. Made of flexible plastics and foam, each one carries a pack of tightly integrated LEDs and weighs just over a half a pound, which is markedly lighter than the 2-lb+ drones used in the Intel display last year. There are no screws that hold them together.

The simplified programming allows the drones to come within 5 ft of each other. They are splash-proof and can fly in light rain. "The flight controller is highly precise -- very robust in gusty conditions and has proven reliability," Gurdan said.

But when it comes to charging and setup, things are done the old fashioned way. Everything takes a whole lot more hand work and either many hands or a whole lot of time -- or a fair mix of both. Charge. Reset. Repeat.

[All images courtesy: Intel Corp.]

 

 

Intel says the latest optimized light show system can be readied in a few days and can be managed by a handful of people or just one operator.

The drones and programmable system are not yet for sale.

Source: Intel

Published November 2016

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