There is arguably no bigger stage in America than that of the Super Bowl halftime show. More than 117 million people watched as Lady Gaga appeared to jump from the roof of NRG Stadium and down to the sea of adoring fans below. But before showing off her acrobatic abilities, she offered a subdued rendition of “God Bless America” in front of a series of red, white and blue lights seemingly suspended in mid-air. The audience was completely unaware that this light show, which first formed a series of stars and then a fluttering American flag, were actually a swarm of 300 drones flying in perfect formation, all controlled by a single computer. Intel’s Shooting Stars, quadcopters that feature built-in LED lights that can create more than four billion color combinations, danced and dazzled the brave new world of drones even further into the mainstream of American culture.
