Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl halftime show will feature hundreds of drones

Probably to create animations in the sky.

Lady Gaga performs during the Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl 51 Halftime Show at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
Lady Gaga performs during the Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl 51 Halftime Show at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
Al Bello / Getty Images

Lady Gaga’s halftime performance at the Super Bowl today is expected to feature hundreds of drones swarming over Houston’s NRG Stadium, according to CNN.

It’s the first time drones have been used in a halftime show. The drones will be lit up, and will most likely create animations in the sky.

The report doesn’t specify what kinds of drones will be used, but this wouldn’t be the first time hundreds of drones were flown in unison for entertainment.

Disney used similar technology to fly 300 drones simultaneously every night this winter in Orlando for a holiday-themed light show. Those drones were from Intel.

Intel unveiled its tiny Shooting Star quadcopter in November, which is designed specifically to fly with hundreds of other drones at once — all controlled by a single operator.

Shooting Star
Shooting Star
Intel

Shooting Stars weigh less than a pound, and together, hundreds can be choreographed to create aerial animations in the night sky. The drones can travel up to 22 miles per hour.

While drone enthusiasts are in for a treat watching the halftime show, they are not allowed to fly aircraft themselves. On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration declared a 34.5 mile radius surrounding the NRG Stadium a “No Drone Zone” on game day to avoid safety risks. The flight restrictions are only in effect from 4 pm to 11:59 pm on Sunday.


Watch: Lady Gaga’s halftime performance


This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

See More:

More in Technology

Technology
The case for AI realismThe case for AI realism
Technology

AI isn’t going to be the end of the world — no matter what this documentary sometimes argues.

By Shayna Korol
Politics
OpenAI’s oddly socialist, wildly hypocritical new economic agendaOpenAI’s oddly socialist, wildly hypocritical new economic agenda
Politics

The AI company released a set of highly progressive policy ideas. There’s just one small problem.

By Eric Levitz
Future Perfect
Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.
Future Perfect

Protecting astronauts in space — and maybe even Mars — will help transform health on Earth.

By Shayna Korol
Podcasts
The importance of space toilets, explainedThe importance of space toilets, explained
Podcast
Podcasts

Houston, we have a plumbing problem.

By Peter Balonon-Rosen and Sean Rameswaram
Technology
What happened when they installed ChatGPT on a nuclear supercomputerWhat happened when they installed ChatGPT on a nuclear supercomputer
Technology

How they’re using AI at the lab that created the atom bomb.

By Joshua Keating
Future Perfect
Humanity’s return to the moon is a deeply religious missionHumanity’s return to the moon is a deeply religious mission
Future Perfect

Space barons like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk don’t seem religious. But their quest to colonize outer space is.

By Sigal Samuel