Using 100 drones, each programmed individually, Intel creatives worked with ARS Electronica FutureLab to design a one of kind LED animation in the sky. “The Intel Symphony In Blue”, an Intel brand anthem that combines the Intel Bong with Beethoven's 5th Symphony, was created specifically to enhance the drone swarm performance.

Setting the aerial animation to a live orchestra, we established that the Drone Swarm is not just a technological achievement; it is a creative one as well. It was an experience that was as much about emotion as engineering.

The documentary video followed this same form, focusing on beauty and emotion along with technology. This is not a scripted commercial. It is an authentic documentary.

On an empty private airfield in Germany, 100 drones were assembled for a synchronized aerial performance. The small drones each had a multicolor LED and were programmed to animate in a uniform swarm. The software keeps the drones in sync, with spatial awareness so they don’t crash into each other, or into the audience. The 100 drones were divided into four airfields, with each airfield having its own pilot, responsible for controlling 25 drones during the performance. This entire aerial display was set to a live performance by an orchestra on the ground below. As the reinterpretation of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony winds down, the dazzling multi-drone dance culminated with all 100 drones forming the Intel logo just as the music crescendoed in the signature Intel bong. The performance was executed without a hitch, to the delight of the engineer team, the orchestra, and the audience.

With the Drone100 swarm, Intel set a Guinness World Record for Most Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) airborne simultaneously. Online views of the video documentary continue to rise, and engagement with the viewer has been profound. It has received over 3.3 million views on YouTube, and has been organically shared over 6,000 times across several digital channels as well as intel.com. The exquisite aerial display has now captivated audiences in both Europe and America and the successful activation has proven the feasibility of drone technology as a creative outlet.

The behind the scenes documentary was featured in Intel CEO Brian Krzanich’s keynote address at CES and the various versions of the documentary have amassed millions of organic views digitally.