Olympic Drones Break Their Own Records

Feb. 10, 2018

Entertaining crowds during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, more than 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles took flight simultaneously to set a new Guinness World Record.

Aaron Hand,

Aaron Hand

The Intel drone light show team produces the Olympic Winter Games Pyeongchang 2018 Opening Ceremony drone light show, featuring Intel Shooting Star drones. Source: Intel

Let’s face it. Drones are just cool. At Automation World, we’re always itching to cover the latest developments in drone technology, but we have to be mindful of our mission and focus on how that technology is being used in manufacturing environments. They’ve become particularly useful for collecting data on assets—oil pipelines, transmission towers, flare stacks, rail yards, you name it—that might otherwise be difficult to reach.

Well, forget that for a moment.

The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, which took place earlier today in Pyeongchang, South Korea, is replaying on prime time as I write this. The Olympics never fail to choke me up, I have to admit—the joy, the determination, the spirit, the pride…the drones flying in harmony.

Looking to get in on the record-breaking atmosphere that makes the Olympic Games so incredible to watch, Intel set loose 1,218 drones at the Olympic Winter Games Pyeongchang 2018 Opening Ceremony. The fleet of Intel Shooting Star drones—unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed specifically for entertainment purposes—not only worked together to create animations of Olympic sports and logos with their LED lights, but also to set a Guinness World Record for the “most unmanned aerial vehicles airborne simultaneously.”

“The Olympics are a time when the sports and entertainment industries are buzzing with record-setting performances, so it was the perfect stage for Intel Shooting Star drones and our team to set their own kind of record,” said Natalie Cheung, general manager of Intel’s drone light show team.

Prerecorded in December for the ceremony and controlled by one pilot, the fleet of drones surpassed Intel’s previous record of 500 drones flown simultaneously in Germany in 2016, which itself was up from 100 drones less than a year earlier.

“We are honored to have Intel drones playing several roles at the Olympic Games,” said Anil Nanduri, vice president and general manager, Intel Drone Group. “Not unlike the athletes competing in the events, we continue to push to innovate and develop the drone technologies that inspire people all over the world.”

And, so this isn’t a completely gratuitous exercise, enjoy these links to our previous (mostly legitimate) coverage of drone technology:

Now check out this video below to learn more about the technology behind Intel's drone show:

About the Author

Aaron Hand | Editor-in-Chief, ProFood World

Aaron Hand has three decades of experience in B-to-B publishing with a particular focus on technology. He has been with PMMI Media Group since 2013, much of that time as Executive Editor for Automation World, where he focused on continuous process industries. Prior to joining ProFood World full time in late 2020, Aaron worked as Editor at Large for PMMI Media Group, reporting for all publications on a wide variety of industry developments, including advancements in packaging for consumer products and pharmaceuticals, food and beverage processing, and industrial automation. He took over as Editor-in-Chief of ProFood World in 2021. Aaron holds a B.A. in Journalism from Indiana University and an M.S. in Journalism from the University of Illinois.