Imagineers are on it
Technology influences art which in turn influences technology, and there is no better place to see that age-old mantra in action than at any Disney park around the world. Disney imagineers are the epitome of technological artists. They are constantly finding creative new solutions to fantastic design problems in order to create more unbelievable magic.
In a teaser video released by Disney Parks on Monday, they unveiled the next big enhancement to their fireworks show – DRONES!
Getting around the no fly zone
This was no easy feat for Disney.
Since the theme parks have been classified as no fly zones sine 9-11, the FAA had to be petitioned to grant an exemption to let Disney fly drones during their holidays shows.
In fact, they have been petitioning the FAA to grant this exemption for more than two years!
You can’t have new Disney magic without a fantastical name and these newly dubbed Flixels (floating-pixels!) are no exception. The company announced in their 2014 patent that these four, six and eight blade multi-copters will be “‘magically’ incorporated into Disney story elements that engage and inspire children and their families.”
The future of Flixels
Engage and inspire they will. While the results in the video are maybe a bit rough, and maybe a bit noisy (these are drones after all) they are so scintillatingly spectacular it’s hard to ignore the future implications of this kind of tech.
Disney says that in addition to flying around in light formations like in the video, the drones could be used to carry projectors and projection screens or help light fireworks.
The mega-brand filed a patent in August this year for drones that carry projection screens, with an image of a huge Jack Skellington moving through the air, projected, it indicates, with the help of specialized drones.
See for yourself
This is just a taste of the true Disney magic that has led innovation and design for decades, and these drones provide an entirely new platform for that magic to take off and soar.
