China is known to be the birthplace of fireworks. However, in recent times, there has been spectacular drone light shows organized by the People’s Republic. This begs the question if a country that invented fireworks has been open to holding large-scale drone light shows, then why on earth they can’t be convened in the United States?
The COVID-19 pandemic led to massive lockdowns across the globe. People have been sick and tired of being shut down indoors and are on the prowl for opportunities to get entertained. Online video streaming services such as Netflix, HBO, and Disney+ have had all their content binge-watched by millions. People have played video games all day long and quite a few of them were lucky enough to spare some time to read a book or two.
As the 4th of July comes closer, Americans seem to be on the search for a variety of activities to spend their time and some money. Fireworks certainly appears to be an attraction! Having said that, fireworks have their own pros and cons. They can prove to be scary for birds, animals, and pets. They can pollute the air, water, and land. Plastic residue can get scattered everywhere. Even the sound of their explosions can terrify aged people along with those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders. Furthermore, the risk of fire gets heightened amidst the already exacerbated risk of wildfires in a few areas. Finally, the risk of one getting their hearing damaged and exposed to an increased probability of receiving bodily harm always remains there for the ones administering fireworks in their private spaces.
Can drone light shows replace fireworks?
Drone light shows are way more different from fireworks as drones can be reused and do not pollute the environment. Having said that, there are only a handful of companies that have the requisite certification, capacity, skills, and supplies to strategize and conduct drone light shows at a large scale. Intel is one of such companies which is considered the pioneer in arranging high-quality drone light shows. They are experts in formulating dynamic 3D light shows employing autonomous fleets of drones that have been developed specifically for light shows; the Shooting Star!
Light show drones, such as Intel’s Shooting Stars are small-sized unmanned aerial vehicles – essentially a helicopter with four rotors.
Each drone weighs less than 330 grams which is just about the weight of a pair of golden hamsters. A Shooting Star drone is made of a soft frame of flexible plastics and foam and does not contain any screws according to Intel. The propellers of the UAVs are covered by cages in a bid to ensure that the drone is safe, waterproof, and has the ability to fly in light rain.
Drones used in light shows are incorporated with minimum gear: Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors and high-quality LED light that is able to produce more than four billion combinations of color lights. This feature lets these spectacular drones come up with a wider array of effects in contrast to fireworks and create an infinite range of storytelling landscapes. There are also drones that have been developed to fly indoors and other spaces where fireworks would not work at all. In addition, drones do not produce any noise which makes them suitable for monitoring wildlife.
Drones used in light shows are typically maneuvered in swarms of hundreds by a remote computer to forge colorful shapes and designs in the sky. However, as computer technology gets more and more sophisticated, the size of the swarm is bound to increase. For instance, in 2015, a swarm of 100 drones got its name registered in the Guinness Book of World Records. The year 2019 saw this number ballooned to 2,018. Furthermore, as 5G technology gets deployed, location tracking will get more advanced so drones will be able to fly a lot closer to come up with even more aesthetically pleasing and complicated patterns in the sky.
In the modern era, even a country such as China accepts the environmental implications of traditional fireworks. This begs the question if a country that invented fireworks has been open to holding large-scale drone light shows, then why on earth they can’t be convened in the United States?
