INTERNATIONAL: The writing appears to be on the sky for fireworks. Long the bane of pet-owners and environmentalists, firework displays could soon be a thing of the past. New drone-swarming technology could offer a future of much quieter and more dynamic celebrations of light.
British drone display company, Celestial, can fly as many as 300 drones in formation. It says the technology is developing so fast we might soon be able to replace fireworks with high quality flying images. It says that although we all love fireworks, they do tend to blow things up, are single-use and can terrify animals. Regulations are also becoming more stringent, with governments in India and China trying to limit the number of fireworks set off during celebrations like Lunar New Year and Diwali.
More recently, Celestial has teamed up with Greenpeace to promote more environmentally-responsible light displays and while perhaps not as flashy as fireworks, you have to admit they are a lot more beautiful. In Cambodia, you need permission to fly drones in Phnom Penh and at Angkor, but on-one is stopping you from having some fun in the countryside and trying out your own drone-swarm of light.
