In the past six months, drones have really upped their game. They’ve hit diners in the face while clutching bits of misteltoe at TGI Friday’s. They’ve been used to make TV and film. They might even make Amazon deliveries, if drone regulations change to allow it.
But now, drones are preparing to take their greatest leap yet: they’re going to put on their own circus. AIR, which will show at Amsterdam’s arena from this autumn, will feature only drone performers. They’ll swoop around, light up in formation, and generally do whatever drones do.
AIR has released a trailer, in which a gravel-voiced narrator introduces the show, which will apparently begin as the drones swoop over the city and then down through the roof of the Amsterdam Arena*:
From there, the show will apparently include
- ballet and battles;
- races and lasers;
- circus and illusions;
- magic and machines.
We’ve always said that Swan Lake would be improved if it was a bit more like Robot Wars.
Here’s the trailer in full:
On a more sombre note, it’s a little worrying that drones seem to be replacing not only delivery drivers and, er, misteltoe attendants, but are also entering the performing arts industry. Acrobats must be quaking in their specialist acrobat shoes.
*Drone regulations in most countries currently state that drones can’t be out of the operator’s line of sight, so this probably won’t actually happen. Boo.
Images: AIR 2015.
