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Verge Aero was one of the first contestants to get a golden buzzer on America's Got Talent: Extreme. The engineering group of four from Philadelphia showcased a drone fireworks show during their chance at the competition.
Around 300-350 drones were flying in the sky, each of them lit up in different groups of colors, making patterns to Coldplay's track A Sky Full of Stars. The performance ended with the drones forming the AGT logo. The group, as well as their performance, amazed the judges to the extent that Simon Cowell ended up pressing the golden buzzer.
Verge Aero has a founding team of four engineers, namely Chris Franzwa, Anthony Merlino, Tony Samaritano, and Nils Thorjussen, who have spent the past several years developing the systems and technology to power drone shows all over the world.
Pricing and other details of Verge Aero's drone shows
Drone shows by the company use hundreds or sometimes thousands of illuminated synchronized drones that create patterns and images hundreds of feet up in the air.
Shows are created using Verge Aero's drone light show software, which validates them to be safe to fly. These shows are then wirelessly uploaded to drones which use enhanced GPS for extremely precise positioning.
According to their website, drone shows usually cost between US $50,000 to $200,000 for a customized, outdoor show capable of portraying complex 3D animations and logos.
The cost of the shows will fully depend on the number of drones that will be utilized. The price of a drone ranges from $350 to $700, and is dependent on various compatibility factors like complexity, location, and planning timeline.
Drone light shows for smaller events can be implemented with 50 drones at a total cost of $25,000, with each drone at a cost of $500. Most importantly, the content drives the number of drones that will be used for the show. Each drone is a pixel, therefore, forming complex shapes and patterns would include more drones than simple ones.
Safety factors involved
Keeping in mind the safety of people watching the shows, the drones cannot be flown over people, and a safe distance between the drones and the audience needs to be maintained. Locations with a clear view of the sky usually make for good locations for drone shows.
Verge Aero has been featured in events like President Joe Biden's victory celebration, Electric Daisy Carnival and now NBC's AGT: Extreme.
