It’s Okay! Those Weren’t Alien Warships Flying Over Sydney Harbour Last Week, Just Drones

Inspired by Intel. With Intel Inside, amazing Vivid Sydney experiences happen outside.

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Don’t worry Sydney! That swarming mass of swooping lights over the harbour this past week wasn’t a beautifully synchronised alien war dance. The display was actually 100 Intel drones programmed to move as one to the dulcet tones of the Sydney Youth Orchestra,  not an extraterrestrial apocalypse.

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The SYO performed from the top deck of the Opera House and covered such seminal classics as Lana Del Rey’s ‘Video Games’ while the drones danced across the harbour like so many ‘roided up fireflies (which, okay, in retrospect may be more disturbing to some) as part of the Vivid festival.

For anyone who missed it, here’s what 100 drones dancing looks like:

The seven-minute performance, controlled by just one drone pilot, saw the LED lit robo-gulls crest and fall in multiple formations, showcasing different shapes and colours to reveal a never-seen-before bespoke animation designed specifically for the festival.

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

The lovely exhibition was part of Intel’s ongoing campaign (including a dedicated event that took place earlier in the Vivid festival) to educate people around how drones are being used for good.

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Check out Intel at Vivid and lurk Instagram for more amazing  pictures of Intel’s illuminating contributions to Vivid 2016 or add your own this year with the hashtags #IntelatVivid and #intelinsideSOH.