French historical recreation theme park Puy du Fou has introduced an ‘intelligent’ drone fleet to enhance its attraction. The drone technology was specially created for the park’s flagship show Cinéscénie, which, at more than 23 hectares (57 acres), is one of the largest night shows in the world.

As France’s second most-visited theme park, after Disneyland Paris, the attraction allows visitors to witness history being brought to life through more than 60 shows about the Vikings, Knights of the Round Table, Richelieu’s Musketeers and Gallo-Roman gladiator games.

To create the drones, the attraction’s artistic team joined forces with lighting designer Koert Vermeulen – founder of ACT Lighting Design – at the start of 2013.

After two years, four patents, the work of 50 engineers and a €2m investment, the Neopter fleet is the first drone fleet capable of flying outdoors while synchronising with music, video and lights – alongside more than 3,400 actors.

The drones are embedded with ‘intelligence’, feature GPS technology and can fly in wind and rain. They can take off from and land on water, in addition to carrying loads of 3kg.

Nicolas de Villiers, president of Puy du Fou, said: “We wanted to create the biggest chandelier in the world in the sky, moving and then disappearing. One of the trialled solutions was to suspend part of the set 30m (98ft) high and another was to use helium balloons.

“This will be the first project to use this many drones and it’s been very complex. That’s why we created our own drones. They fly automatically and have their own ‘brain’ so they can make decisions and leave the choreography and go ‘home’ if their motor or battery is not working well.

De Villiers added: “We’re seeing drone technology become increasingly prominent outside its military origins, and by exploring the new opportunities opened up by the Neopters, we are excited to be pioneering a new way in the world of entertainment. At Puy du Fou, we aim to transport visitors out of the 21st century into the past and this technology is truly enabling us to push the boundaries further.”

In November 2014, Puy du Fou claimed the prestigious Applause Award at IAPPA 2014 and revealed plans for projects in China and beyond.