Intel first in choreographed drone performance

Drones 100, Intel’s world-record-holding drone performance, will be making its public debut as part of Vivid Sydney. For five nights only, from 8 to 12 June, 100 illuminated drones will perform a spectacular choreographed routine over Sydney Harbour, accompanied by the breathtaking sounds of the Sydney Youth Orchestra.

When its inaugural flight took place in November 2015 in Hamburg, Germany, Drone 100 set a Guinness World Record for the most number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying simultaneously. Now, Drone 100 will push the limits of what it has previously achieved, performing for the first time ever above water, in front of a live, public audience in the heart of a major city with the Sydney Opera House sails as a backdrop for this unique performance.

Weather permitting, Drone 100 will light up the skies above Sydney Harbour in a 7-minute performance each night starting at 7:55 p.m. Flying in dynamic formation, the drones will showcase different shapes and colours to reveal a never-seen-before bespoke animation designed specifically for the Sydney performance. Controlled by one main pilot, the performance will be synchronised to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, performed live by the Sydney Youth Orchestra, to create a magnificent display of art and technology.

“With drones quickly emerging as an important computing platform of the future, Drone 100 exemplifies what it means to reinvent experiences with new technology,” said Anil Nanduri, Intel’s general manager of unmanned aviation systems for its Perceptual Computing Group. “Drone 100 will capture the imagination of all who see it. Through this experience, we hope to inspire the imagination of Vivid Sydney festivalgoers and highlight the future potential of drone technology.”