Drone Show at XPONENTIAL Europe: “We Want to Demonstrate our Connection with the City of Düsseldorf”

Messe Düsseldorf: Mr Vorderstemann, what’s the idea and visual concept behind the drone show at XPONENTIAL Europe?

Marco Vorderstemann: As the new leading trade fair for autonomous technologies, XPONENTIAL Europe is of course the perfect opportunity for a show like this. This is exactly where we’d like to show just what’s possible with drones. The concept is a combination of creative 2D and 3D objects. A total of 200 drones will create images in the sky at a height of 90 metres, demonstrating, among other things, our connection to the City of Düsseldorf. What’s more, we want to illustrate that drones can also serve as an excellent advertising platform in the field of digital signage.

What are the biggest challenges with a show like this?

Marco Vorderstemann: Safety comes first. In the run-up to the drone show, we have to check site characteristics and be sure spectator and crew safety can be guaranteed. Messe Düsseldorf’s Exhibition Centre is ideal for a show of this kind because it has huge open spaces available. This makes it easier to cordon off the required zones where nobody is allowed to be during the show. We also check current weather data by the minute and after all that we still have to obtain final approval from air traffic control in Düsseldorf, as flight safety obviously also plays a major role.

What can you tell us about the technology behind the drone show?

Marco Vorderstemann: Technically, it doesn’t really make a big difference whether there are 50, 200 or 1,000 drones. The entire process is programmed and visualised in the software beforehand. Each drone is assigned its exact task and flight path and during the flight, each of these drones flies the sequence it has been programmed to perform. For the visualisation beforehand, we use a real-time rendering that shows us what the drone show will look like. The entire sequence during the show is also monitored by us in real time so we can intervene manually at any time if anything unforeseen should happen.

How long does it take to prepare for a show like this and how did planning go with Messe Düsseldorf?

Marco Vorderstemann: It always depends on the complexity of the show. Normally, it’s possible to organize a drone show within a month. In this case, it was even quicker. We’ve been working with Messe Düsseldorf for decades, so coordinating everything was very straightforward. The trade fair has always been very open to new technologies, as currently demonstrated by the new XPONENTIAL Europe for uncrewed systems and robotics. So the idea was only tabled in early January, but with Senior Project Manager Joline Olbing the planning of the entire project went very quickly.

And finally: Is there any drone show that particularly sticks out in your mind?

Marco Vorderstemann: The biggest impression was definitely left by my first show in Lindlar, Germany, which also showed me what’s possible in terms of design. When you hear the loud whirring of the drones for the first time and see a huge image suspended in mid-air in a matter of seconds, it’s incredibly impressive.

XPONENTIAL Europe will not only be visible in the city through the drone show.  Get to know Düsseldorf’s highlights during the trade fair here.

We understand that a drone show arouses great interest among the public. Like most of our trade fairs, XPONENTIAL Europe is open to trade visitors only. The drone show is also designed as a highlight for trade visitors and is organised in such a way that it can only be viewed from the exhibition grounds. Visibility beyond the exhibition centre is not planned. Thank you for your understanding – we look forward to further strengthening Düsseldorf as a business location with XPONENTIAL Europe.