How do drone shows with thousands of drones forming shapes like a moving dragon work?
Is each drone programmed with an individual flight plan? It doesn’t seem feasible to control 1,000 drones at once with radio signals. Do they navigate by GPS? Is that accurate enough? Is there software that creates flight plans for each drone? Can drones be assigned positions through their IP? Do they need specific starting spots to avoid collisions?
The drones follow pre-programmed flight paths controlled by software. Each one has a designated role in the display, and they use precise positioning technology to avoid collisions.
Chen said:
The drones follow pre-programmed flight paths controlled by software. Each one has a designated role in the display, and they use precise positioning technology to avoid collisions.
Yeah, they all sync up with the control system before taking off. Once everything is set, they just execute the program automatically.
@Hayden
Exactly. Once the flight plan is loaded, they take off and follow it. The operators just monitor for any issues.
Chen said:
The drones follow pre-programmed flight paths controlled by software. Each one has a designated role in the display, and they use precise positioning technology to avoid collisions.
It’s fascinating how precise the coordination is. Even a small delay could mess up the whole show.
It’s all controlled by software. The flight plan is designed in advance, and the drones are set up in a specific layout. Once powered on, they connect to the system, receive their flight paths, and execute their programmed movements. The entire process is automated once launched.
The drones get their flight plan from a central computer and are monitored in real-time. They use RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) positioning, which is extremely precise—sometimes within a few millimeters. Communication is usually over radio, Wi-Fi, or even LoRa in some cases.
What kind of drones do they use? Are they DJI? And once the show is over, do they keep reprogramming the same drones for new displays?
Maybe the FAA should look into using similar tech for traffic control?
Harper said:
Maybe the FAA should look into using similar tech for traffic control?
Just a thought…