Rob Brown may think the future will be green or not at all, but what he may not have foreseen is the buzzing that would accompany it. From drones to electric cars, the future might just sound a cumulative drone of that annoying buzzing sound we all know and hate so much. Proof of the pudding was at the launch of Audi’s new flagship Electric SUV the E-Tron, the five-passenger midsize SUV was launched globally to the backdrop of an indoor and outdoor drone light show. The show consisted of a total of 850 Intel Shooting Star drones, 300 of which hovered over the 500 odd attendees as they were brought in by boat from the Embarcadero to Richmond’s historic Craneway Pavilion. The remaining 500 then stole the show with another set of aerial acrobatics that took place both inside and outside the pavilion. All in all, it felt like a welcome to the future, if only it wasn’t for that unending drone of drones. Pardon my punnery.
Now for Audi, the need to make a good first impression is understandable, the e-tron is the first all-electric production car to leave the VW group entirely. The groups’ past marred by the diesel gate scandal was looking to showcase their fresh new environmentally friendly, polar bear loving facade and make a big deal out of it. 850 drones seem like an apt way to do it. In that light, the show was packed with presentations of the companies new direction, flashing lights and EDM music( Because, millennials) and centred around the cutting edge e-tron SUVs. 550 Intel Shooting Star drones were part of the second indoor/outdoor light spectacle.
The Intel Shooting Star drones are a lot like the Blue Angels stunt crew (without the incredible bravery required to fly the planes by the seat of your pants) and have been known for their extraordinary light shows, that have floored crowds at Disney World in Orlando, at the opening of the Olympics and to recreate the cover of “Time” magazine in the sky. The drones introduced the car by painting the Audi and e-tron logos above the bay.
