Photo via Intel.

Update: The drones — 300 of them — were indeed from Intel. The company collaborated with Lady Gaga and supplied the 280-gram quadcopters, which can create more than 4 billion color combinations. The drones created a red and blue moving star formation; an American flag; and a Pepsi logo followed by Intel’s logo at the end of the show. You can watch the drones hereUpdate No. 2: As Wired notes, the drones weren’t actually flying in real-time — Intel pre-recorded the show earlier in the week.

Photo via Intel.
Photo via Intel.

“Lady Gaga and the Super Bowl creative team wanted to pull off something that had never been done before and we were able to combine Intel drone innovation with her artistry to pull off a truly unique experience,” Josh Walden, general manager of Intel’s New Technology Group, said in a statement. “The potential for these light show drones is endless and we hope this experience inspires other creatives, artists and innovators to really think about how they can incorporate drone technology in new ways that have yet to even be thought of.”

Here are details about the software inside the drones, via Intel:

Intel’s proprietary algorithms automate the animation creation process by using a reference image, quickly calculating the number of drones needed, determining where drones should be placed, and formulating the fastest path to create the image in the sky.

Intel also partnered with FOX for its 360-degree replay technology during the Super Bowl. You can learn more about the company’s drones here.

Original story: There will be a geeky aspect to Lady Gaga’s highly-anticipated Super Bowl halftime show performance.

CNN reported Sunday that “hundreds of lit-up drones” will be used during the show — a Super Bowl first.

You can expect the drones to be flying in unison, similar to how we’ve seen drones used in entertainment. Intel uses its Shooting Star quadcopters to create drone light shows, for example.

The drones used during the halftime performance are exempt from the FAA’s no-drone zone around NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday. Intel secured special waivers from the FAA.

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