Intel’s Drone Illuminate Sky at the 2018 Winter Olympics

A merge in art and technology occurred during the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. If you were watching, you may have noticed an LED light show illuminate across the sky. But I bet you had no idea how! Would you believe us if we told you it was due to the help of over 1,200 drones? Sure, you can fly a hundred drones in the air, but how do you coordinate them to fly to a specific pattern? Intel has turned these questions into possibility!

During the opening ceremony, birds, snowboarders, and Olympic rings decorated the night sky. These shooting star drones are specifically designed for light shows. They are made up of a lightweight plastic material and foam and can remain airborne for about five to eight minutes. Equipped with LED lights and sensors, the drones can be controlled entirely from a central computer system. This helps coordinate how and when the drones will fly. These shooting star drones can be programmed to be super bright or very dim and offer several color combinations.

In order to test the drones for South Korea’s harsh winter conditions, the team tested them in some of the coldest regions of the world, Finland and Germany. Intel’s team members tested their drones in weather conditions of -10? and -15? Celsius. For over a year, the team worked hard to push their drone technology to the next level. Only having completed a few light shows, the Winter Olympics was Intel’s largest show with exactly 1,218 flying drones. Compared to the 300 drones that they had flown in the past, Intel was determined to do something much bigger, brighter, and better. They are excited for what’s in store for drone technology and are proud of how far they’ve come.