Intel Shooting Star

The Intel Shooting Star is a quadcopter drone built from polystyrene and lightweight plastics, designed specifically for light shows. Its built-in LEDs can produce over four billion color combinations, and a single computer with one operator can control a large swarm, using algorithms to manage choreography and optimize flight paths. In 2022, Intel sold this division to Nova Sky Stories.

In November 2016, 500 of these drones set a Guinness World Record for the most unmanned aerial vehicles airborne simultaneously. For the 2017 Super Bowl LI halftime show, 300 Shooting Stars formed an American flag in the sky during Lady Gaga’s performance, though the show was pre-recorded due to strict no-drone flight zone regulations.

Josh Walden of Intel’s New Technologies Group noted that swarms of these drones could also perform visual inspections much faster than a single unit. During Art Basel Miami Beach 2017, Intel collaborated with Studio Drift and BMW on a performative artwork using 300 drones. The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony featured 1,218 Shooting Stars, making it the largest drone show in history.