Drone Swarms: A Transformational Technology

Back in 2016, hundreds of Intel drones flew over the skies at Disney World, choreographed to music as part of a holiday show titled “Starbright Holidays.” Intel’s drones also performed behind Lady Gaga during the Super Bowl in 2017. And earlier this year, China celebrated Chinese New Year with a massive drone show. Although these displays are impressive and are certainly a technological achievement, they are prescripted and do not demonstrate the transformational potential of swarms of autonomous drones that can respond to, and act on, their environment.