Drones: the future of light displays

On the evening of Jan 28, the Chongqing branch of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala showcased a breathtaking drone light performance. Three thousand drones took to the skies above the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, forming various patterns that included Chongqing's iconic landmarks and the city's emblematic camellia flower.

This dazzling display was orchestrated by Damoda Intelligent Control Technology, a Shenzhen-based company specializing in drone shows.

It marked the company's sixth appearance at the gala. Despite challenges such as unpredictable weather, temperature fluctuations, signal interference, and varying wind speeds, the team successfully achieved a flawless 100 percent on-time takeoff and landing rate.

The average age of this highly skilled team is only 27. Most members are graduates specializing in drone application technology, while some are drone enthusiasts recruited by the company. They channel their expertise and passion into this booming industry.

Jia Hengxiang, 27, from Lyuliang, Shanxi province, is the head of Damoda's flight engineering department. To complete a drone show, scriptwriters from the art engineering department first develop creative concepts and write programming scripts. Jia is responsible for leading the drone operators in executing the project.

In recent years, drone formation performances have become a major trend in night sky entertainment. Whether in major cities or small towns, at the Spring Festival Gala or the Olympics, domestically or internationally, these creative aerial displays have expanded people's imagination of light shows and highlighted the power of Chinese technology.

During this Spring Festival alone, Damoda presented 12 performances across various provinces and cities, including Sichuan, Hebei, and Tianjin.