In addition to South Korea and North Korea marching together at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games opening ceremony, the incredible Winter Olympics Drone Light Show was something that would not have gone without being noticed by audiences all over the world.
The night sky over Pyeongchang, South Korea, was illuminated by the Winter Olympics Drone Light Show with its massive fleet of 1,218 Shooting Star Drones which were maneuvered to form a twinkling snowboarder and the legendary Olympic rings.
According to a report by Recode, a live performance was discarded after reservations had been brought forward with regard to the safety of the viewers present at the occasion. As a matter of fact, a pre-recorded version was telecast by NBC. A Guinness World record for the most unmanned aerial vehicles airborne at the same time was set up; breaking Intel’s own previous record of 500 drones flown at the same time in 2016 in Germany.
Winter Olympics Drone Light Show has been particularly engineered for entertainment light shows weighing around 300 grams and are equipped with integrated LED lights that are capable of creating more than 4 billion color combinations according to a statement released by Intel. The entire fleet of drones is maneuvered by a single pilot using computerized controls.
The tech giant’s proprietary algorithms were employed to formulate customized animations portraying different winter sports and Olympics logos for the performance. Intel’s software automates the animation process by using a reference image and swiftly figuring out the number of drones needed, where they should be placed, and the fastest way for them to reach there. Intel team is confident of pulling out a show within a matter of days or weeks depending on the intricacy of the animation.
Natalie Cheung, General Manager of Intel’s drone light show team said that there is all the humdrum of record-setting performances at the Olympics, so it was the perfect occasion for our team to set a new world record of a different kind.
Sam Prosser, commercial director EMEA APAC Guinness World Records said that it was an exciting experience to partner with Intel on the Winter Olympics as they continued to innovate in the realm of drone light show technologies. He believed that Intel was pushing the limits by increasing the number of drones in the light show from 100 in 2015 to 500 in 2016 and finally to 1,218 in 2018.
A 30-second advertisement was aired depicting the power of Intel Shooting Star drones and their versatile entertaining capabilities after the PyeongChang 2018 Opening Ceremony.
Intel is a member of The Olympic Partner worldwide sponsorship program and is endeavoring to transform the spectator’s experience by conjuring immersive opportunities for viewers to be a part of the Olympic games.
The Intel Shooting Star drones are a type of UAVs that have been built specifically for entertainment purposes and are loaded with LED lights that are capable of producing numerous color combinations that can be programmed for any animation. A single pilot controls the entire fleet.
Anil Nanduri, vice president and general manager, Intel Drone Group, said that it had been an honor for the chip giant to have their drones playing several roles at the Olympics. He further added that in contrast to the athletes participating in the games, Intel aimed to innovate and come up with new technologies that could inspire people the world over.
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