Proof of Concept (PoC): Drone Light Show Media Playback System
Overview
Electric Airshows is a pioneering force in the intersection of the aviation and entertainment sectors, setting the standard for Drone Light Show technologies across the UK.
They specialise in transforming initial concepts into mesmerising skyborne spectacles, offering comprehensive services that span innovative design solutions to expert entertainment flight operations.
Category
Mobile Application
Development
Services
Team
Patent granted
Media Playback System
Objective
The primary goal of the PoC was to evaluate the feasibility of developing an app capable of delivering content (video, sound, and text) synchronously to viewers of a drone light show, ensuring that the content delivery is precisely timed with the show’s events, and considers the geographical location of each viewer to enhance the viewing experience.
Key Requirements & Functionalities
Content Delivery
Delivering video, sound, and text content to users during the drone show is essential, aiming to complement the visual spectacle.
Synchronisation
The app must ensure precise timing in content delivery, synchronised with the drone show’s events, to provide a cohesive experience.
Location-Based Content Delivery
Adjusting content delivery times based on the user’s location is vital for synchronisation, necessitating accurate location services.
Technical Implementation
Utilising timecodes for synchronisation underscores the need for precise timing in content delivery, coordinated with the drone show’s control systems.
Challenges & Considerations
Hardware Integration
A key technical hurdle was the selection and incorporation of suitable hardware capable of providing a precise timecode. This step was essential to ensure the synchronisation of content delivery with the drone show.
Location Accuracy: GPS & Bluetooth
By leveraging cutting-edge GPS and Bluetooth technology, we achieved high location accuracy, allowing us to deliver content that is not only synchronised but also customised to the viewer’s exact location.
Permissions Management
Establishing a robust system for permissions requests was essential for accessing users’ location data and for other app functionalities like notifications. This framework is crucial for safeguarding user privacy and building trust.
Backend Infrastructure
Crafting a backend infrastructure that could support synchronised content delivery to a large audience, while accounting for diverse network conditions and user locations, was a complex endeavor. This infrastructure is the backbone of our app, enabling seamless experiences.
Technical Details
Software Dependencies
Android: Java, SQLite
Google Play Console
Server-side: Ubuntu server, Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL
Software Modules
Android native mobile application
CoDeSy – Content Delivery System
API
Web backend
MIDI Timecode generator
The Result
The success of the PoC proved the technical and practical feasibility of a mobile app that significantly enhances the drone light show experience through synchronised content delivery.
We were able to demonstrate the potential for a new level of interactive viewer engagement, setting the stage for further development and eventual deployment of the app at live events.
In addition to the client scope, we were able to implement extra features during PoC development:
Augmented Reality (AR) 3D model object display for hardware capabilities using GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, camera and Bluetooth.
A directional sound feature that enables viewers wearing headphones to experience left/right audio intensity differential depending on the angle of the intersection between the user location and the device’s azimuth vector.
Having attracted commercial interest, the Media Playback System Android mobile application PoC will move to MVP development.
“Claire/COCO Software exceeded our expectations with the technical solution they engineered for us, delivering on time and to spec our customers will love.”
- Dr Chris Crockford, BSC. MSC. MBA. PHD. MIEEE. MACM. MBCS. AFRMET. ARAES. FRGS. FRAS