On Friday, Central Michigan University held a drone light show, the first of its kind at CMU.
Kevin Campbell and Jim Morrison are both CMU professors, and the pilots in command for the show. The show was born out of research project by Morrison. According to the professors, the Friday's performance was three years in the making.
“Every time we do a show like this, I actually have to file paperwork with the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] telling them what we're going to do, where we're going to be, ‘here's all of our safety procedures, here's our safety zone,’” Campbell said.
Campbell says drones are more versatile for designs than fireworks. He also says drones have safety advantages.
"One of the reasons that we see more and more drone light shows is because of the risk of fire from fireworks," Campbell said. "We've had many droughts across the US, particularly out west. So, you can have a drone light show and you don't risk lighting a forest fire."
The show lasted approximately ten minutes, and featured various figurations, many symbolizing CMU's brand.
"We are, to my knowledge, the only university in Michigan with its own fleet of light shows," Morrison said. "So, that's something actually pretty unique."
The drones are preprogrammed to fly into certain formations.
“Throughout the show, there's a little computer on the drone that tells it, ‘okay, it's time for you to move over here and make this pattern now,’” Campbell said.
The drones operate within a safety perimeter, in which people were not allowed to enter during the show.
Students helped secure the perimeter, which Campbell described as the size of “half of a football field.” The students also acted as "visual observers," meaning they watched the drones make sure they were not doing anything out of the ordinary.
There were a range of student helpers, with some studying media arts, engineering and meteorology.
"We're training the new employees for the drone light show marketplace," Morrison said. "So, we're giving students that opportunity to learn and expand... This is all part of that experiential learning that we do here at CMU."
Matthew Krause is a junior studying geography with a concentration in urban planning. He said the experience will carry into his future.
"In my major... we're going to be doing automated flying with routes for scanning," Krause said, "So, it's very good to see how these systems work, get an understanding for my future career paths."
Dylan Myers is a freshman studying meteorology. He said that a few weeks into classes, he was asked if he wanted to help with the light show.
"I'm like, you know what, might as well try something new," Myers said. "So, I gave this a try, and it really helped me learn a lot more about these drones and how the whole program works."
Myers says the safety role that the students play gives him insight into his career path.
"Part of being a meteorologist is also being aware of, you know, surroundings and keeping people out of danger," Myers said. "So, this really helps me, kind of, simulate what that's kind of like in [my] future."
We note WCMU’s broadcast license is held by Central Michigan University. WCMU’s newsroom is editorially independent from CMU, and the university is not involved in writing, editing or reviewing our reports.
