4‑6

4 Innovation Projects Innovation Initiatives

Drone Light Shows Activation for the Olympic
Games Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony
Tapio LIUSVAARA

Shilpa PATEL Andreas JALSOVEC
NAGASE Jun MATSUDA TakaIntel Corporation was honored to be the Official Drone Light Shows Partner for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 As
millions of viewers worldwide came together to watch the Opening Ceremony on July 23 2021 thousands of Intel (Note 1)
drones took to the skies above the Olympic Stadium This was an unforgettable performance that celebrated the athletesʼ
inspiring achievements and the triumph of the human spirit
Keywords：Intel Drone Light Shows Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony

heartfelt accompaniment Sung by John Legend Keith

1．Introduction

Urban Beninese singer‑songwriter Angelique Kidjo

The breathtaking globe high above the Olympic

Spanish performer Alejandro Sanz and the Suginami

Stadium (Figure 1) was an unforgettable moment fromChildrenʼs Choir

the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo

soundtrack to the performance that quickly became a2020 Intel launched 1 824 drones into the sky in asocial media sensation

the rendition provided a stirring

spectacular performance that began with the Olympicsʼ
Kabuki‑inspired checkered emblem As the emblem
hung large in the night sky it seamlessly transitioned
into a blue and white orb before morphing into the now‑
iconic globe While the stunning image of the world
hovered over the stadium John Lennonʼs beloved song“” arranged by Hans Zimmer

provided a

Tapio LIUSVAARAIntel Drone Light Shows Intel Corporation
E‑mail tapio liusvaara@intel com
Shilpa PATELIntel Drone Light Shows Intel Corporation
E‑mail shilpa r patel@intel com
Andreas JALSOVEC
IDI‑Intel Drone Light Shows BU Intel Corporation
E‑mail Andreas Jalsovec@intel com
NAGASE Jun
MSO GSEM Intel Corporation
E‑mail jun nagase@intel com
MATSUDA Taka
Cloud Solution Architect Group Sales and Marketing Group Intel Corporation
E‑mail taka matsuda@intel com

The Journal of The Institute of Electronics Information and Communication Engineers Vol 105 No 8 Supplement pp 238‑243 August 2022
© 2022 The Institute of Electronics Information and Communication Engineers

238

Figure 1

A globe Performed by Intel Light Show Drones FloatedHigh above the Olympic Stadium during the Opening
Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020（©2021‑
International Olympic Committee‑All Rights Reserved）(Note 1) Intel the Intel logo and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel
Corporation or its subsidiaries

THE JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF ELECTRONICS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERS

2．Intel Drone Light Shows Overview
Intel Drone Light Shows is an innovative form of art
and storytellingbranding

or advertising

becomes your largest canvas

billboard

The skyor movie

screen This is a smoke‑free and noise‑free way foraudiences to enjoy 3D animated stories and dynamic
formations choreographed to music There can be 100s/
1 000s of pre‑programmed drones flying in unison‑allcontrolled by one pilot Intel Drone Light Shows uses
state‑of‑the‑art technology Designed specifically forlight shows Intel drones are lightweight incorporate

Figure 2Intel Premium Drone a Purpose‑built Drone for Light
Shows（©2021‑Intel Corporation）

Figure 3Intel Premium Drone Luminosity with High Ambient
Light in Tokyo（©2021‑International Olympic Committee‑All Rights Reserved）

key safety features and are engineered to be moretolerant of real‑world performance conditions
The innovative Intel launch pad simplifies shippingstorage deployment charging launch and auto‑landing Built to hold six drones each the launchpad reduces
airfield footprint acts as a wireless communications hub
for the drones during performances and provides a
stackable secure and robust transportation enclosure
In addition to hardware the customized performance
control software developed by Intel enables a single
computer to manage an entire fleet of up to 10 000
drones From setting geofences to running fleet checks
before flights

this robust software allows Intel toefficiently conduct safety and risk assessments drone
tracking and regulation compliance3．Preparations for Drone Light Show Activationin Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony
31

Purpose‑built Light Show Drones

32

Drone Light Show DesignIntel light show drones have dazzled audiences acrossDuring the initial design phase safe flight areas

the globe for years For the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

spectator positions and optimal viewing angles wereIntel built the next generation of light show drones As aidentified At the same time the Intel creative team in

resultclose collaboration with the Tokyo 2020 Opening

the Intel Premium Drone (Figure 2) was

launched
fasterThe Intel Premium Drones are brighterand have improved positional accuracy for

Ceremony team worked with sketches and storyboards
to bring the show narrative and vision to life

crisper animations With four LEDs their increased

The logo of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games byluminosity makes them perfect for settings with high

TOKOLO Asao served as the basic concept for the firstambient light such as Tokyo (Figure 3) They also haveelement of the drone show The pattern TOKOLO used

an increased wind tolerance and require less air andin these emblems was a nod to Ichimatsu Moyou aground spacetraditional Japanese checkerboard pattern that became

It was not only the technology that was required topopular during the Edo period (1603‑1867)

While

perform a crowd‑wowing light show experience duringsending a message of unity and hope

the Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony but it also required

transitioned from the TOKOLO emblem into a Globe

the drones

a lot of advanced preparations in operations infrastruc-high above the Olympic Stadium highlighting the mottoture art creation and safety planning to deliver theof the Olympic Games : Faster Higher Stronger‑To-

spectacular drone light show experience

getherSpecial Issue : Technology and Innovation in the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020

239

The drone show started with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic

needed to allow the artists to implement changes in the

Games logo in the night sky high above the Olympic

shortest possible time With the assistance of our Intel

Stadium Based on a spherical basic shape the design

Light Show Editor (Figure 4) it would be possible toconsisted of 120 rectangles unfolding into the Tokyo 2020

make potential simple edits in real‑time In addition thisOlympic Games logo The three different sized rectan-

allowed us to test a wide variety of ideas before on‑sitegles represented diverse cultures countries and ways

rehearsalsof thinking

The color palette consisted of pure white with subtle

This spherical base shape also represented the second

traditional Japanese indigo blue accents to underline thesection in the drone performance The transition fromthree‑dimensionality of the forms and thus the depth

the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games logo to the sphericalshape allowed the initial geometric construction of thelogo visible to the audience

33

Technical Challenges of Show Design

Along with the design and creative tasks the teamThe drone show was intended to underline thehad to contend with limited airspace as well as thediversity represented in the logo with the sphericallylocations and line of sight of the broadcast video

arranged rectangles morphing into a globe in the thirdcamerassection of the drone show For the globe itself Fibonacci

In February 2020 the team conducted a site survey ofSphere was chosen as the base body In this way wethe Japan National Stadium Since the drone operations

achieved an optimal and optically harmonious distribu-

airfield was 300 meters (about the height of the Empire

tion of the drones

State Building in New York City) away from the actual

The simplicity elegance and graceful flowing move-center of the drone show it was important that thements of the drone show presented special challenges forvirtual models also corresponded to the exact dimen-

the show design Usually the customized Intel Light

sions on site Too large a deviation in position or heightShow Editor calculates the transitions between two

would have resulted in part of the show not being fully

choreographed pieces of content Here however thesevisible When we saw the drones appearing at thetransitions had to correspond to the construction of the

anticipated point in the sky during the first rehearsals

logo as well as a specific temporal pattern and a manual

we had confirmation that our plans corresponded to theanimation was simply impossible because of the large

actual conditions on‑sitenumber of drones
To meet the customer‑needs during the design
process

The feeling is indescribable when at the end of such a
project you can finally look at your work in the night sky

the creative team accommodated frequent

requests for changes to ensure alignment to accompany-

34

ing music that was still being fine‑tuned So it quickly

To put on a drone light show using 1 824 drones in the

Drone Light Show Planningbecame apparent that a semi‑procedural approach wascenter of an urban environment such as Tokyo before alive broadcast with such a high‑profile audience
required months of collaborative working sessions withnumerous local authorities The focus for all agencies
was safety before during and after the flight and an
unforgettably positive audience experience
The biggest challenge facing the world was thecoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic which
delayed the games by one year

Due to travel

restrictions the team had to develop unique solutions to
obtain all the necessary approvals before the teamarrived in Tokyo
35

Safety and Security Consideration

Safety is a priority when operating a drone light show
Figure 4

240

The Logo of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Intel
Light Show Editor（©2021‑Intel Corporation）

It all begins with technology powered by Intel : purpose‑built drones state‑of the‑art animation and perform-

THE JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF ELECTRONICS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERS

ance control software including the firmware control

running fleet checks this robust software also allows thesoftware animation and simulation design software toteam to implement emergency protocols such as return

protocols intended to promote safety

to home and immediate controlled descent The drones

The Intel Premium drones are more aerodynamic

are constantly reporting back to the pilot their status via

than previous generations meaning they can fly fasterthe control system to keep the pilot always informed onmake quicker

and have an

the fleets health The flight control system is also

increased tolerance for wind Purpose‑built for safety

designed with redundancy which means if one system

the premium drones weigh just 340 grams and are

fails another system will keep the drone flying without

designed specifically to not carry a payload They are

any disruption

more agile transitions

also constructed with a frame made of flexible plastic

To fly the drones within restricted airspace the teamand foam with guards surrounding quadcopter propel-

correspondingly secured approval from Tokyo 2020 tolers

deregulate the airspace over the Japan National Stadium
the teamfor two weeks The deregulation approval also communi-

reviewed the historical temperatures for the summer

cated to other activations in the area to be aware of theseason in Japan Based on the data the team added toairspace restriction during the drone light show at theDuring the drone development phasethe plan how to address high ambient temperatures To

Opening Ceremony Once the deregulation was ap-

prevent the drones from overheating special attention

proved Intel applied for an aviation permit from thewas focused on the thermal design of the drones With

local civil aviation authority This was also not without

innovative cooling solutions in the drone and launch pad

challenges as the regulations for the exclusion zone andsystems all systems were kept cool both on the groundthe maximum height for drone flights had a significant

and in flight

impact on the allowable airspace and animation design

Before any Intel drone could fly in Tokyo Intel had to

The last step was to notify the local community fireapply for radio certification to operate the drones indepartment

Japan Once the team was on‑site an inspection andperformancevenue owners without revealing theaudit of the equipment and communication system wasAnother concern for Tokyo 2020 was the potential

conducted by local authorities to complete the registra-noise or buzzing hum of 1 824 buzzing drones flying nexttion and certify the drones as Tokyo 2020 licensed radio

to the residential area To reduce any probable noise

devices The audit also established frequencies used

pollution Intel sent the drones to a laboratory for soundduring the Opening Ceremony and confirmed that key

level measurements during the engineering productsafety protocols were working

build Although the team specifically‑built a quiet drone

Next the Intel Premium drone system security was

the on‑site testing confirmed the minimal soundreviewed by Tokyo 2020 Technology Service Officials

produced by the drone fleet would not be detected

for safety and intrusion protocols to check whether any

outside of the stadium area

outside entity could easily gain control over the drone

Ceremony the music aptly drowned out the soft buzzing

light show system To avoid outside interference allsound during the performance

During the Opening

communication between the drones and flight controller

Planning for the drone light show took place during

is encrypted The firmware and all the flight records are

the COVID‑19 pandemic complicating an alreadyalso encrypted to protect the systems

complex process The most significant impact was the

To fly nearly two‑thousand drones in an urban area of

reduced number teammates approved to enter and work

Tokyo Intel performed a live demonstration of the Intel

the show by Japan border‑control authorities Working

drone system conducted flights and presented key

with half the desired number of workers Intel built

safety features to the local police The Intel animation

redundancy among the staff to support the daily

software enables the creative team to design test andoperations As a precaution before the team arrived insimulate the 3D imagery The customized software

Tokyo the drone team divided into two groups before

promotes safety by automatically mapping collision‑freeentering the country The teams worked split shifts to

trajectories between the drones during flight andsupport day and night shifts The day shift performed

physical obstacles such as buildings The Intel perform-

maintenance and applied any updates to the fleet before

ance control software enables a single computer tothe night shift conducted test flights and addressed any

manage the entire fleet From setting geofences totechnical issues

Special Issue : Technology and Innovation in the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020

241Figure 5

36

Meiji Jingu Stadium Baseball Field Served as the Drone
Airfield（©2021‑Intel Corporation）

Setup Test and Rehearsals

Intel and Tokyo 2020 explored multiple locations

Figure 6

The Intel Drone Light Shows Team at the Olympic
Games Tokyo 2020（©2021‑Intel Corporation）

trained and skilled in risk management

worldwide

aviation regulations weather and airspace awarenessaround the Japan National Stadium for a suitable drone

Another challenge the team had to overcome was theairfield that would be feasible for the Opening Ceremony

radio frequency interference experienced by the system

performance During the site survey in February 2020in the stadium area in the middle of Tokyo during test

Meiji Jingu Stadium was identified to be the best site forflights Because the Opening Ceremony is such a large

drone airfield from an art safety and logistics point of

productionviewnearly every vendor was using radio

communication as part of their setup causing interfer-

As part of standard operations Intel stocks additional

ence with the drone communications With redundancy

drones to support test flights and to secure the exact

optimized radio protocol in the drones and careful radio

number of drones available for the final performancetransmitter box locations

Intel apportioned 2 700 drones on the airfield to support

electromatic frequency interference and executed a

the Opening Ceremony and the animation for the Tokyo

successful drone light show for the Opening Ceremony

the team managed the2020 social media campaign The Intel team worked with

The final and the most critical challenge wasa local vendor to acquire the necessary infrastructure tosynchronizing the drone light show to the live perform-

support the daily operations of the drone team It took 18

ance of the elements of the story choreography inside thehours to build the airfield with all the infrastructure andJapan National Stadium For the live performance it

set up the airfield (Figure 5) and conduct safety andwas critical that the drone flight trajectories lighting

power checks The stadium would be the home of theand music choreography matched precisely to engage

team for the next two weeks

the audience and to send a message of unity and hope toEvery drone flight includes a wide range of safety

all the viewers across the world

measures including geofences with generous buffers
multiple trained visual observers and built‑in emergency protocols It was no different for the Tokyo 2020

4．Opening Ceremony

Opening Ceremony except for the movements of the

The team arrived early as there was an area lockdown

participants and the parade of athletes scheduled to be indue to security and safety protocols for anyone entering

the area during the drone light show performance To

the restricted area on the day of the Opening Ceremony

ensure the safety of people within the flight area IntelAs you might expect on show days the team often has acollaborated with Tokyo 2020 authorities to develop

higher level of stress and anxiety as they focus on flying

safety protocols to confirm there would be no materiala best‑in‑class show

breach of the exclusion zone by placing security officers

watching worldwide the stress levels skyrocketed

but with millions of people

around the flight area The Intel drone operators for the

As the sunset on the night of July 23 2021 the pilots

Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony were highly trained andand professional show controllers ran through the final

licensed pilots with years of aviation experience expertly

safety and equipment checks and then launched the242

THE JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF ELECTRONICS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERS

show The Intel drone performance has been widelycelebrated as one of the highlights of the ceremony
From glowing newspaper and magazine reviews toextensive television broadcast coverage and social media
engagement this magical performance has become oneof the most talked about events of the Tokyo 2020
Olympic Games
Acknowledgments We would like to thank everyone
involved with the Intel Drone Light Show at the Olympic
Games Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony We are incredibly fortunate to have had such a talented team ofcreative artists

software and hardware engineersoperations logistics and local authorities to perform an
amazing show for the Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony(Figure 6)

Andreas JALSOVEC
Andreas JALSOVEC studied graphic designin Linz Austria Attracted by the possibilities
of computer graphics he deepened his knowledge in digital modelling 3D animation andvisual effects Based on these skills he becamea key researcher in this area of the Ars
Electronica Futurelab shortly after its founding
in 1996 As early as 2012 as part of the Ars
Electronica Spaxels project he had the privilege of realizing the worldʼs first drone lightshow Artistically exploring the possibilities ofdrone light shows and pushing the boundariesof their application is his current focus at IntelNAGASE Jun
NAGASE Jun received his diploma in Law
from Meiji Gakuin University in 1995 Prior tojoining at Intel in 2005 Jun established his Sales
career in the semiconductor industry He has
participated to Olympic Program Office at Intelin 2018 to support projects in relation to Tokyo
2020(Received March 18 2022 ; Revised April 15 2022)

Tapio LIUSVAARA
Tapio LIUSVAARA received his M Sc in
Mechanical Engineering from Tampere University in 1998 He is a Principal Engineer at Intel
Corporation Tapio has R&D experience inmobile phones tablets wearables and lightshow drones

MATSUDA Taka
MATSUDA Taka received his B S in
Mathematics from University of Nevada Reno
in 1997 and M S in Information Science andTechnology from The University of Tokyo in2014 He is a Principal Engineer at Intel
Corporation

Shilpa PATEL
Shilpa PATEL received her B S in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University
in 2006 She is a Program Manager at Intel
Corporation㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇㍇

Special Issue : Technology and Innovation in the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020243