COMPUTEX x InnoVEX Drone Show: an Urban Canvas Reimagined

 

Project Director and Creative Producer Yu-Ying Chen extends the 2026 COMPUTEX × InnoVEX exhibition beyond the convention center with a large-scale drone performance staged over Taipei’s Xinyi District. Set against the backdrop of TAIPEI 101, the project transforms the city’s skyline into a temporary exhibition space, combining aerial choreography, architecture, and digital media through a fleet of 1,000 LED drones.

 

Presented from June 2nd to June 5th, 2026, the installation repositions the technology trade fair within the urban environment, bringing its themes into public space through a twelve-minute nighttime performance. Rather than functioning as a standalone spectacle, the drone show becomes an extension of the exhibition itself, using the city as its setting.

 

The performance was staged between Taipei City Hall Plaza and TAIPEI 101, placing the choreography within one of the city’s most recognizable urban contexts. Rather than selecting an isolated launch site, the project integrates the drones into the architectural and visual identity of the Xinyi District, where the illuminated tower becomes an active backdrop to the animated formations. The aerial compositions were designed to interact with the surrounding skyline, temporarily transforming the civic center into an open-air venue while connecting technology, architecture, and public space.

all images courtesy of COMPUTEX x InnoVEX

 

 

Drone Formations turn into Three-Dimensional Architecture

 

The project was developed through a collaboration between Noki Asia Limited in Hong Kong and Taiwan Swarm Innovation Inc. in Taiwan, coordinated by Project Director and Creative Producer Yu-Ying Chen. Chen established the project’s creative direction and conceptual framework before Noki Asia translated the visual ideas into two- and three-dimensional drone formations, flight paths, and animation sequences. Taiwan Swarm Innovation subsequently adapted the choreography to its flight systems, validating technical performance and operating the fleet of 1,000 LED drones during the live event. The production required close coordination across creative, engineering, and regulatory teams while addressing aviation restrictions, electromagnetic interference within the dense urban environment, and the operational demands of flying a large drone fleet in the city center.

 

The drone formations were conceived as a three-dimensional spatial composition rather than a sequence of animated images. Throughout the twelve-minute performance, the drones visualized themes related to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, artificial intelligence, and technological development, transitioning between microscopic lattice structures, abstract geometries, and large-scale figurative forms. One sequence featured a robotic figure interacting with the silhouette of TAIPEI 101, using the building as part of the choreography and reinforcing the relationship between the digital performance and the surrounding architecture.

the logo adopts simple and modern geometric lines to highlight Taipei as an open, dynamic, and connected city

 

 

Digital Fireworks create an alternative for temporary Public Art

 

The project also explores drones as a medium for temporary public art. Described as ‘Digital Fireworks,’ the performance replaces conventional pyrotechnics with programmable LED drones, creating a reusable and zero-emission alternative for large civic events. Rather than leaving a permanent physical structure, the installation exists only through light, movement, and synchronized flight, demonstrating how aerial technologies can generate temporary urban experiences while reducing the environmental impact typically associated with public celebrations.

 

Following the event, the drone show circulated widely across international news outlets, television broadcasts, and digital media platforms, extending the installation beyond its live audience and highlighting the role of large-scale aerial performances within contemporary exhibition design.

BRAVO TAIPEI, representing the creativity, energy, and welcoming spirit of Taipei

 

through AI, smart vehicles, and connected systems, cities around the world are entering a new era of mobility

as a symbol of Taipei’s global vision and innovation spirit, TAIPEI 101 continues to connect Taiwan with the world

 

innovation grows stronger through international collaboration

the 40th anniversary of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei

LED drones to create a large-scale aerial installation above Taipei’s Xinyi District

 

project info:

 

name: 2026 COMPUTEX x InnoVEX Drone Show
project director & creative producer: Yu Ying Chen

client: COMPUTEX | @computex__taipei x InnoVEX | @innovex_taipei

organizer: Taipei Computer Association (TCA)

drone show design consultant: Noki Asia Limited (Hong Kong)

drone executive flight team: Taiwan Swarm Innovation Inc. (Taiwan)

 

location: Xinyi District, Taipei City Hall Plaza & TAIPEI 101, Taipei City, Taiwan

drone fleet size: 1,000 LED drones

show duration: 12 Minutes

primary media distribution: Reuters Global Media Platform, Al Jazeera, The Sun, SET News, TTV

 

 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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