In recent years, there has been a rise on drone shows that replace the existing format of having firework displays. Here, hundreds of drones fly up in the air, and with their LED lights, create patterns to the delight of the crowd. Intel and their drone the Shooting Star are the frontrunners for this amazingly futuristic display. The drone shows involve complicated and sometimes very choreographed ‘dances’ that occur for about ten minutes to half an hour.
While these drone showcases are amazing to see live, there are still some issues to consider. Firstly, the weather is the determining factor on whether the drones can perform or not. In the Winter Games of South Korea, the closing ceremonies involving drones had to be postponed a day because of unsuitable weather. Battery life is also another important factor. These drone shows only last as long as the batteries of each individual drone can. For the most part, that is a maximum of 30 minutes, but most shows last for less than that.
Bugs and Crashes
Another thing to consider is that these drone displays are still, in its essence, in their infancy. There are still glitches to fix, problems to discover, and issues to resolve. The biggest fear with these hundreds of drones flying around in a small area is colliding and the eventual crashing.
That fear nearly became a reality in China, where over 300 drones flew into the night sky for the event. The drones seemingly went haywire over an error or glitch, leaving them flying in different directions. No crashes or collisions happened, fortunately. The spectating crowd below them however had a panic on their voices as they watched the event unfolding. While this time it did not do any damage, a crashing drone can injure people on the site, as well as even start fires on some instances.
