300 intel drones perform light show at the super bowl halftime

at last night’s super bowl halftime show, a fleet of 300 intel ‘shooting star’ drones lit up the night sky over the city of houston, texas, kicking off a powerful performance by lady gaga. the devices had been carefully choreographed to enact a stellar aerial show, creating a backdrop of colorful formations in mid-air. red and blue moving ‘stars’ seamlessly transformed into an image of the american flag, before flawlessly morphing into the pepsi logo — sponsor of the super bowl LI halftime show.

the intel drone team working towards the super bowl halftime show

the newly-developed intel shooting star drones have been designed specifically for entertainment purposes, lighting up the sky above music festivals, concerts, or large events. these types of unmanned aerial vehicles are equipped with LED lights that can create over 4 billion color combinations. additionally, the purpose-built quadcopter drone can be easily be programmed to create any kind of animation or formation, like brand logos or symbols. following the super bowl halftime show, a 10-second ad showcased the drones’ ability to form the pepsi logo that morphed into the intel brand mark.

a fleet of 300 intel shooting star drones transformed into the image of an american flag

‘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,’ said josh walden, senior vice president and general manager, new technology group, intel.

a 10-second ad showcased the drones’ ability to form the pepsi logo that morphed into the intel brand symbol