Industry-Academia Collaboration Dazzles the Night Sky: Results and Archive Footage Released from Practical Drone Education for Next-Generation Creators
Osaka University of Arts Junior College successfully executed a "Graduation Project Drone Show" as the culmination of its newly established "Drone Creators Course," with students handling design and engineering. This initiative, realized through industry-academia collaboration with a professional drone team, aimed to foster next-generation creators and provide new cultural experiences to the local community. A post-event report and archive footage are now released.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 02:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 01:00
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 13:40 (492h 39m after Collected)
Osaka University of Arts Junior College (Location: Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture / President: Hidekuni Tsukamoto) implemented a "Graduation Project Drone Show" as the culmination of its newly established regular curriculum "Drone Creators Course" in 2024, with students handling the design and engineering. A post-event report and archive footage of this initiative, realized through industry-academia collaboration with a professional drone team to foster next-generation creators and provide new cultural experiences to the local community, are now released.
### ■ First Presentation of Works from the Regular Curriculum "Drone Creators Course"
In Spring 2024, our university established the "Drone Creators Course" within the Department of Design and Fine Arts. This course is a curriculum where students acquire the national qualification "Class 2 Unmanned Aircraft Pilot," master aerial photography and video editing, and create works.
The recent drone show was not a standalone event but an integral part of the first-year students' lessons, where they learned the mechanisms of drone shows and actively participated in production, including performance design and on-site operations. Some second-year students created drone show performances separately from their graduation exhibition pieces.
### ■ Osaka University of Arts Junior College × LUCAS Drone
This project was realized under the guidance of Specially Appointed Associate Professor Nobuhiro Matsui, with the cooperation of "LUCAS Drone Co., Ltd." (Headquarters: Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture), which boasts top-class drone show operations in Japan. Students learned "practical studies" over six months, covering not only design production but also AP control (flight control) and engineering, which are essential for a successful drone show. They systematically acquired a sense of responsibility to prevent accidents and the process of elevating cutting-edge technology into art.
### ■ Contribution to the Local Community
Our university has fostered a foundation for regional revitalization and collaboration, and this drone show was held at the lawn plaza of the Itami Campus, freely open to local residents. Many community members attended on the day, and it functioned as a new cultural exchange venue connecting the university and the region.
Initially scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the event was urgently moved forward to Tuesday, February 10, due to weather issues. Amidst the need for flexible response, 11 first-year students (3 groups) and 2 second-year students participated, ensuring thorough safety management for the actual performance.
The first half, featuring student works (64 drones, approx. 7 minutes), showcased clovers transforming from overlapping hearts and the mystical phases of the moon. Additionally, diverse motifs highlighting local characteristics, such as "seagulls" (the junior college's symbol) and "runways and airplanes" (inspired by nearby Itami Airport), lit up the night sky. The subsequent second-year graduation project expressed the process from a camera's shape to a photo being taken.
### ■ First Presentation of Works from the Regular Curriculum "Drone Creators Course"
In Spring 2024, our university established the "Drone Creators Course" within the Department of Design and Fine Arts. This course is a curriculum where students acquire the national qualification "Class 2 Unmanned Aircraft Pilot," master aerial photography and video editing, and create works.
The recent drone show was not a standalone event but an integral part of the first-year students' lessons, where they learned the mechanisms of drone shows and actively participated in production, including performance design and on-site operations. Some second-year students created drone show performances separately from their graduation exhibition pieces.
### ■ Osaka University of Arts Junior College × LUCAS Drone
This project was realized under the guidance of Specially Appointed Associate Professor Nobuhiro Matsui, with the cooperation of "LUCAS Drone Co., Ltd." (Headquarters: Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture), which boasts top-class drone show operations in Japan. Students learned "practical studies" over six months, covering not only design production but also AP control (flight control) and engineering, which are essential for a successful drone show. They systematically acquired a sense of responsibility to prevent accidents and the process of elevating cutting-edge technology into art.
### ■ Contribution to the Local Community
Our university has fostered a foundation for regional revitalization and collaboration, and this drone show was held at the lawn plaza of the Itami Campus, freely open to local residents. Many community members attended on the day, and it functioned as a new cultural exchange venue connecting the university and the region.
Initially scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the event was urgently moved forward to Tuesday, February 10, due to weather issues. Amidst the need for flexible response, 11 first-year students (3 groups) and 2 second-year students participated, ensuring thorough safety management for the actual performance.
The first half, featuring student works (64 drones, approx. 7 minutes), showcased clovers transforming from overlapping hearts and the mystical phases of the moon. Additionally, diverse motifs highlighting local characteristics, such as "seagulls" (the junior college's symbol) and "runways and airplanes" (inspired by nearby Itami Airport), lit up the night sky. The subsequent second-year graduation project expressed the process from a camera's shape to a photo being taken.