So, what is a software engineer with a post-doc from ETH doing at a live events company? Unlike many other opportunities in the engineering field, the work done at Verity is unique, challenging… and used by bands like Metallica.

“We create an innovative product that is unique in the world of live events. Our indoor drones are seen by millions, and people love it. It’s really rewarding to be at a show and see the reactions of the audience. In a high-end show, people expect to see lights, smoke effects and maybe fireworks, but no one expects to see drones."

The accomplished and international team at Verity is also a big drawcard for Luca.

“We have a very diverse and multicultural team. Everyone is super smart, and you can learn a lot every day. People are really motivated, and the success of the team comes before the success of an individual. Everyone is ready to help when needed.”

Luca Gherardi is just one of the many talented people at Verity Studios. Look out for more Verity Team Spotlights to get to know our team, or if you're interested in joining us, check out our careers page.

"All you see is magic"

Raffaello D’Andrea, founder of Verity and co-founder of Amazon Robotics, said unlike many other show drones, Verity’s drones are operated solely by the Drake tour staff and perform their choreographies autonomously.  “People often describe technologies they’ve never seen before as ‘magic’. This is also how people talk about our drones when they see them live for the first time. By bringing robotics and AI to live events, we are creating magic. It’s spectacular to see a swarm of drones performing a perfectly synchronized aerial ballet without a single drone pilot in sight. Of course, what’s powering this performance is advanced technology, but when you sit in the audience, all you see is magic.”

"What the teams created together is visually stunning"

As part of its creative services, Verity employs drone choreographers and drone costume designers to bring its clients’ visions to life. The creative concept for the drone choreography came from conversations with the Drake creative team.  “When the Drake team approached us, they said they wanted something that had never been seen before. Our drone choreographers worked in partnership with Drake’s creative team to come up with various concepts for the show, like geometric shapes and drone tornadoes, before deciding on the final choreographies. What the teams created together is visually stunning. We relish pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with our technology when pursuing our clients’ creative vision,” said D’Andrea.

Since it was founded in 2014, Verity has been bringing cutting edge robotics and AI technology to live events. With over 30,000 flights under their belts, Verity’s autonomous drones have performed in more than 20 countries and in a variety of venues, including on Broadway in Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour and at the New York Knicks pre-game shows at Madison Square Garden.  To learn more about Verity and see videos of previous shows, visit www.veritystudios.com. To attend the press event “Drake: behind the drones” in New York on the 28th of August 2018, contact media@veritystudios.com. To purchase tickets or get more information about the 2018 Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour, visit www.drakeofficial.com.

About Verity Studios

Verity Studios is the global leader in indoor drone systems. Verity delivers indoor drone shows to the live event industry, working with clients that include Metallica, Madison Square Garden, and Cirque du Soleil. Its clients have completed more than 30,000 autonomous flights safely above people, across 20 countries worldwide. The Zurich-based private company was spun off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) in 2014. Its founder Raffaello D'Andrea has more than 20 years of experience in the creation of flying machines and autonomous robots. He also was a co-founder of Boston-based Kiva Systems, which was acquired by Amazon in 2012 and is now operating as Amazon Robotics.

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Léa can see how this effect can offer many new opportunities. “First, UV light helps you to focus on a specific element. You can make select elements appear or disappear which helps create more magic around the costumes.”

Even without a costume, painting the Lucie guard in UV paint also creates a stunning effect. “You could also imagine a double use of our Lucie micro drones,” said Léa. “If the guard is covered by UV paint, the drones could perform their light show and then suddenly transform into flying sculptures thanks to a switch of ambient light.”

If you’re interested in exploring UV costumes for your event, get in contact. We’d be happy to talk you through the possibilities. We’ll also be demonstrating our UV costumes at the London Design Festival in September this year. Keep in touch to learn more about where you can see our costumes in action by signing up to our newsletter. 

D'Andrea founded Verity in 2014 with co-founders Markus Waibel and Markus Hehn as a spin-off of ETH Zurich. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the design and creation of flying machines. Even before founding the company, he and other members of our team were exploring the combination of technology and the arts at the Flying Machine Arena, where they created flying robots that performed aerial ballet and acrobatics, juggled balls and balanced poles. In front of a live audience, the team also created the world’s first structure created by autonomous flying machines. 

D'Andrea also presented one of the most-watched TED tech talks of all time in 2013. As of the time of writing it had achieved over 10 million views. Watch it below.

Raffaello D'Andrea is just one of the many talented people at Verity Studios. Look out for more Verity Team Spotlights to get to know our team, or if you're interested in joining us check out our careers page.