sciencetech-blog

comments

A terrifying Tim Burton marionette flown drones could someday replace the fireworks and floats at Disney World.

This is according to three drone-related patents filed by the company that could pave the way for larger-than-life puppets flying through the sky.

The first describes an aerial display system, with drones choreographed to form displays of floating pixels, similar to fireworks.

A giant Nightmare Before Christmas puppet wielded by flying drones could be seen at Disney World. An image from a patent filed by Disney shows how drones could control a huge puppet's dance move

The second uses drones to fly and position flexible projection screens on which light could be reflected above a crowd.

A final patent suggests using drones to move the legs and arms of 'blimp-sized' Disney string puppets.

Disney joins a list of companies pressing for the US government to allow commercial use of small unmanned flight systems long associated with military and government surveillance.

The Federal Aviation Administration is in the process of drafting rules for the commercial use of drones for everything from TV news coverage to package delivery to crop monitoring.

Disney joins a list of companies pressing for the U.S. government to allow commercial use of small unmanned flight systems long associated with military and government surveillance. One of the three patents suggests using drones to move the legs and arms of 'blimp-sized' Disney character string puppets

Disney hopes to use drones as part of their world-famous theme park shows. In this image, drones are shown autonomously assembling a fantasy superstructure above a demonstration or viewing area

The drones would be pre-programmed and controlled from the ground and would monitor each other to remain synchronised and prevent aerial collisions in the event of wind gusts, the company said.

In the case of marionettes, a drone could carry a character through the sky to simulate flight depicted in passages from books and films, according to the patent application. 

'This is a significant improvement over prior flying characters, which typically were provided in the form of parade or other blimps/balloons filled with hot air or other gases and that had little and/or awkward articulation of any movable parts,' the company said in its patent application.

The inventors for all three patents were listed as Clifford Wong of Burbank,  James Alexander Stark of South Pasadena and Robert Scott Trowbridge, all based in California. 

The company did not respond to a request for comment.