Parrot, Dronisos expand partnership to explore new applications for drone flight automation

August 5, 2020 | AUVSI News

Parrot has announced that it is expanding its ongoing partnership with Dronisos, a European company that creates and produces customized drone swarm light shows. Leveraging the Parrot ANAFI drone platform, the companies will explore new applications for drone flight automation. 

A combination of “sophisticated technology and artistic expression,” Dronisos’ drone swarms are designed to entertain audiences around the world with dancing drones and lights for clients such as Lancôme, Peugeot, FIFA, and Oreo. To pull these shows off, sophisticated drone flight automation is needed to synchronize up to one thousand drones to perform choreographed movements, tricks and flight patterns. 

Previously, Dronisos has used modified Parrot Bebop and Mambo drones for its shows. The companies say that Parrot’s latest ANAFI drone platform offers “new opportunities to advance flight automation and synchronization thanks to its compact size, quiet flights, and industry-leading security.”

“Parrot is a dream partner to help us bring to life spectacular displays of imagination through both their technology and appreciation for artistry,” says Jean-Dominique Lauwereins, CTO and co-founder of Dronisos.

“Now, Parrot’s ANAFI drone platform has both inspired and equipped our team to push the boundaries and take our drone swarm capabilities to new heights and new industries. In particular, the small size of the ANAFI prevents any physical harm and the highly secure connection ensures the safety and integrity of autonomous flights from potential hackers.”

Parrot initially partnered with Dronisos in 2016 to help produce the company’s drone dances at its annual CES booth to showcase the launch of the Bebop. Just a few short years later, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Dronisos team created a world-record breaking show flying 200 Parrot Bebop 2 drones simultaneously.

The show was created with a dispersed team throughout the lockdown, and broke the world record for the largest number of drones flying autonomously indoors. The show was broadcast nationally for the celebration of San Giovanni, which is a popular annual Italian festival in Turin, Genoa and Florence.

“Dronisos has broken barriers and world records with their vision and engineering and our drone technology,” says Jerome Bouvard, director of Strategic Partnerships at Parrot.

“We see the ways in which our professional and enterprise customers are using our drones and believe that through this next phase of our partnership we can showcase what else can be achieved to solve new challenges for inspections, surveying and mapping, security and defense industries.”