Intel drones were used to create a unique light show experience to kick off Lady Gaga’s performance during the Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LI Halftime Show. The chip making giant collaborated with the music icon, NFL and Pepsi for the show.
Intel drones light up Lady Gaga’s performance
The light show used 300 Intel Shooting Star drones to light up the sky in a choreographed aerial performance. This was the first-ever drone integration during a television event and a Super Bowl.
A backdrop of colorful formations that included twinkling stars which eventually transformed into red and blue moving stars formed the American flag in a dramatic finale that brought Lady Gaga to center stage on the field. The halftime performance ended with the formation of the Pepsi logo created in the sky using the Intel Shooting Star drones.
Intel Senior Vice President and General Manager of the New Technology Group Josh Walden said, “Lady Gaga and the Super Bowl creative team wanted to pull off something that had never been done before and we were able to combine Intel drone innovation with her artistry to pull off a truly unique experience.”
The Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LI Halftime Show concluded with Intel running a 10-second show using drones morphing from the Pepsi logo into the Intel logo.
How the drones work
Intel’s Shooting Star drones are a new type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). They have specifically been designed for entertainment purposes and are meant to be used during festivals and entertainment events. The drones were built keeping safety in mind, and they come equipped with LED lights that can create over 4 billion color combinations, notes Yahoo.
Programming them for any animation is really easy. Intel says proprietary algorithms automate the animation creation process. They use a reference image to make a quick estimate of the number of required drones, formulate the fastest path to create the image in the sky and determine where the drones should be placed.
During the Super Bowl, Intel partnered with FOX as well for its 360-degree replay technology. This was the biggest stage for drone technology, performing for a global audience of about 160 million, or so people.
“The potential for these light show drones is endless and we hope this experience inspires other creatives, artists and innovators to really think about how they can incorporate drone technology in new ways that have yet to even be thought of,” Walden said.
You can watch the drones here.
