VIJAYAWADA: Babburi Grounds in the city has become a beehive of activity as preparations are underway in full swing to organise the country’s largest drone show. As part of the Amaravati Drone Summit, the State government is organising a spectacular show with 5,500 drones at Punnami Ghat on the evening of October 22 (Tuesday).
A distinctive buzz has filled the air as a team of over 150 youngsters are hard at work to ensure the flawless execution of the show.
Makeshift tents have been erected to house a fleet of 8,000 drones. Founded in 2016, BotLab Dynamics has organised several drone shows. It had conducted a stunning show with 1,000 drones at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the Beating Retreat Ceremony in 2022. With the current project, the company aims to break four international records.
Speaking to TNIE, BotLab Dynamics’ Operations Head Mayank said, “We have done more than 150 shows in India and a few shows abroad. We got the opportunity to work with the Andhra Pradesh government and fly 5,500 drones to showcase how drones can be useful for the society.”
Besides the Cricket World Cup final and Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding programme in Jamnagar, Gujarat, he highlighted that the company has organised two shows in the past for the Andhra Pradesh government.
Elaborating on the processes involved in conducting a drone show, Mayank said, “Our drones are completely made in India. After the animation team designs the formations, we finalise the grid, bring the drones to the ground and test them so they are ready for the sorties. We make sure that all the propellers and motors are intact. We also ensure that the batteries used in the drones are charged. We have other teams that work on the software.”
As many as 150 people from eight different departments are on the ground in Vijayawada to organise the show.
As part of the programme, once the location for the drone show is finalised, tests are conducted to ensure minimal interference with the signal of the drones. A group of five people will operate 5,500 drones during the 12-minute show, comprising around eight formations.
With a cyclonic storm brewing in the Bay of Bengal, the team has its fingers crossed. “BotLab and weather have a special relation. Wherever we go, the (bad) weather follows us. Weather conditions change momentarily. So far, we have been lucky as the sky usually clears up before our shows. We are prepared. A contingency plan is in place in case we have to clear the ground if it rains. We can handle drizzling. If it rains heavily, there won’t be anyone to watch the show also. We have a reserve day on October 23, but we hope we can pull off the show on October 22.”
Besides the weather, the presence of high tension cables and Krishna River near the location of the drone show are among a few infrastructural challenges, Mayank noted. “Such issues cannot be avoided. We work around them. We have already resolved technical issues,” he said exuding confidence. Mayank brushed away queries on the likely formations that will adorn the sky, stating that he would like to keep it a surprise.
