The drones will choreograph a light-show over the historic Janpath and ramparts of Red Fort during the Beating the Retreat ceremony of the Republic Day in New Delhi- a first of its kind in the world.
It is for the first time that 1000 drones are being used as a part of celebration of Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav on Republic Day and the Beating the Retreat ceremony in the national Capital.
The rehearsal of light show performed by the unmanned 1000 drones has already gone viral on social media among the netizens. It marks the coming of age of the drone’s cutting-edge technology developed by the IIT Delhi. The drones will perform this pollution-free choreography of light show in the sky to mark the Beating the Retreat Ceremony on January 29.
Despite the euphoria over the largescale use of drones in Indian skies, the wildlife lovers are also shuffling out from the sidelines in support of the denizens of the sky, folding up their sleeves. They are opposing the widespread use of drones in the sky on the ground that “the drones will intrude in the free-flying space of birds that may even kill them in the long run”.
The drones are not only being used in delivering the vaccines in Northeast, Telangana and Chhattisgarh and other states, but they are set to be used in keeping an eye on the intruders along the borders and making the ceremonies pollution free.
Also, there are a select few apple farmers, who are now trying drones to spray pesticides and scaring the preying birds, bats and monkeys away from the orchards.
Soon, Indian Metrology Department (IMD) is planning a pilot project for using drones for weather observations in a year, says Dr Jitender Singh, Union Minister for IT.
Supported by the Government, IIT Delhi's startup has designed and developed reconfigurable swarming system of 500 to 1000 drones that will choreograph 3D drone light shows during the Republic Day celebration during the Beating the Retreat ceremony.
Earlier, the Botlab Dynamics startup, which is incubated in IIT Delhi, celebrated Diwali using 100 drones. The night sky is lit up with drone formation representing Indian culture and tradition that has marked the beginning of a new age of eco-friendly celebration and coming of age of drone technology in India that will now replace noisy pollution- filled crackers soon.
The drone light show rehearsal has left the Delhiites mesmerized, says Divyam Chauhan, a science student in Delhi. The drones showcased amazing eye-catching geometric patterns of light in the sky during rehearsal, he adds.
Dr Jitender Singh says the drones have been successfully used in dropping vaccines in different places across India, now it will light up the Janpath during beating the retreat ceremony. With this, drone technology has come a long way, he says.
IIT Delhi Prof. V Ram Gopal Rao while retweeting said the Republic Day beating the retreat will witness drones light show, which has been developed by the IIT Delhi’s startup.
As a matter of fact, the beating the retreat ceremony is a military tradition dating back to the time of the 17th century England, where the sounding drums after day’s battle indicated a halt in fighting and withdrawal of forces. As soon as the bugle was sounded, the troops seized fighting and withdrew from the battlefield.
(Vaamanvir Chauhan is video editor)
