Onlookers at IFA 2015 were amazed at the show put on by a swarm of autonomous Parrot Bebop drones. They flipped, spun, ducked, and dodged, all while performing in close quarters.
As the curtain went up to start the show, a soft whir of rotor blades filled the convention hall. Then the drones took off in sequence and started an aerial acrobatic show akin to what you would see from the Blue Angels. The drones performed in unison, every move synchronized with the music.
The quadcopters were programmed by the coders back at Parrot, and they use tags on the show floor to navigate. We tried to get a sneak behind the scenes to learn more, but the team at Parrot wanted to keep some things secret.
With auto-pilot and GPS guidance already being used in most aircraft, it’s safe to say that with the addition of the technologies displayed here, we could see a show like this put on by full-size aircraft in the future.
Editors' Recommendations
- Parrot’s 4G-connected Anafi Ai drone is the Google Maps car of the skies
- MIT’s shadow-watching tech could let autonomous cars see around corners
- Skydio’s highly autonomous drone now has a robotic charging dock
- 5 awesome pieces of new tech we saw on display at IFA 2019
- Parrot’s Anafi drone now includes an FPV headset for more thrilling flights
