Nick paused only after demonstrating for five or six minutes straight.
As he operated the tablet, the drones that had previously formed shapes scattered and reformed into a loose rectangular array.
"Alright, I'm sure everyone is tired after listening to me for so long. Next, let us give a warm round of applause to two gymnasts from the Miami Sports University Team as they perform their demonstration for us."
Accompanied by applause, two young men wearing sleek, athletic singlets walked onto the stage.
At the same time, the screen behind the stage transformed into an ink-wash animation.
As the music started, the two bowed to the audience, then immediately began their routine.
To everyone's surprise, as the two moved, the ink-wash mist on the screen behind them coalesced into two ink-wash figures, whose every move perfectly synchronized with the performers.
That wasn't even the most amazing part; what really stunned the audience was that the drones hovering above the open space in front of the stage began to gather, forming the shapes of two people that, just like the ink-wash figures on the screen, mimicked the movements of the real performers.
Although the two were gymnasts, their routine was a display of explosive power and controlled balance.
Their movements were varied—sometimes fast and acrobatic, sometimes holding steady in displays of incredible core strength—combining power with flexibility, and the movements were incredibly fluid and graceful, making them a joy to watch.
This placed even higher demands on the flight control of the drones mimicking their movements.
Unlike cars on the ground, acceleration and deceleration for aircraft in the air are gradual processes.
Achieving the sudden shifts between high-velocity tumbles and static holds found in gymnastics requires complex and precise algorithmic analysis and control, as well as strong hardware support from the drones.
For Nick and his team, given that hardware upgrades for the drones were currently impossible, they could only achieve maximum optimization through software programming.
Because of this, they didn't choose routines involving chaotic, high-flying releases that might confuse the sensors, but instead opted for more grounded floor exercises and rhythmic, compact movements.
Watching the two drone-formed figures in the air performing synchronized handstands and rolls, the crowd erupted into rounds of cheers and applause.
Their performance was simultaneously broadcast live online, on YouTube, and on short-video platforms, in an effort to expand their visibility.
This idea was proposed by Tyler; on one hand, he wanted to increase their visibility to prepare for upcoming business negotiations.
On the other hand, it was also a form of self-protection as a precaution. The more attention you receive, the more hesitant those who want to target you will be.
With their current resources, it was hard to guarantee that their hard-earned results wouldn't be mysteriously snatched away, so they thought of this method as an added layer of security.
Although it might not necessarily work, it was at least some form of psychological comfort.
What Tyler and Nick, who was still on stage, hadn't expected was that this purely technical press conference livestream would actually go viral on the streaming platform.
Not long after the demonstration began, the number of viewers in their livestream skyrocketed to five or six hundred thousand and was still climbing.
Tyler initially thought something had gone wrong, but later, through the barrage comments, he realized that a major streamer had come to "leech"—no, he should say, to "observe."
The spectacular demonstration naturally won unanimous praise from the audience watching the video.
"Yooo, that's awesome."
"Amazing, it's even better than the drone shows we see during the New Year."
"Isn't it just a drone show? What's there to brag about?"
"Idiot, if you don't understand, don't just spout nonsense. Such intensive technology isn't something just anyone can pull off."
"Is this technology that difficult?"
"As an industry practitioner, I can responsibly tell you: yes, it's very difficult."
"Stop talking, just say it's awesome."
"LOLOLOLO!"
"Bro, stop leeching, go back and cook, I'm starving to death."
...
Back at the press conference, as the music ended, the two performers concluded their demonstration.
"Thank you, thank you both for the wonderful performance," Nick said as he walked back onto the stage.
Meanwhile, the drones reformed into a loose rectangular array and hovered in the air.
"I know many of you might not believe it and think this is a pre-rehearsed act. So, I would like to invite a guest to come up on stage and personally test this technology."
As soon as Nick finished speaking, many people in the audience raised their hands; it seemed everyone was very interested.
"So many people! I'll just pick one at random."
Nick scanned the crowd and said, "You there, the gentleman in the white shirt."
Following Nick's selection, a middle-aged man in his early forties walked briskly and efficiently onto the stage.
"Alright, please step into the marked area on the stage," Nick gestured to him.
The middle-aged man nodded and walked over to the area marked with red tape.
Immediately, the drones hovering in the air quickly gathered in the center, reforming the outline of a person.
"You can try moving around," Nick instructed him.
Seeing the drones gathered into a human shape, the middle-aged man tried raising his right hand. The drone-formed figure also raised its 'right hand'.
The man waved his hand, and the drone figure waved back.
The man squatted down, and the drone figure followed suit. The human-machine synchronization rate throughout the process was very fast, with no visible lag or delay.
Seeing that was enough, Nick had the man step down and said to the crowd, "Alright, the drones are running low on battery, so we'll conclude the demonstration here for now."
As he spoke, Nick picked up the tablet to control them, and the now-scattered drones landed one by one in the open space below the stage, orderly and neat.
After finishing the operation, Nick paid no more attention to the drones landing one by one. He handed the tablet to Terry, who was standing at the edge of the stage, and said to the crowd, "Next is the introduction segment. First, let us give a warm round of applause to welcome Senior Sun back to the stage to introduce the AI 3D Motion Capture Technology they developed."
Clap, clap, clap, clap...
Accompanied by applause, Sun returned to the stage, looking excited as he addressed the crowd: "Thank you, Nick, and thank you for the wonderful performance he brought us."
"Honestly, I never imagined our technology would be presented to everyone in such a way."
"Our technology is called AI 3D Motion Capture Technology, and it..."
Walking off the stage, Nick let out a sigh of relief; the shirt on his back was already soaked with sweat. Being a host was really not an easy task, at least not for him.
Zack handed him a bottle of water and said, "Rest for a moment; you'll be back on stage soon."
Nick nodded, unscrewing the cap while scanning his surroundings. "Where's Tyler? Why don't I see him?"
"Him? He's currently getting cozy with that group of bosses off-stage." Zack gestured toward a corner of the audience where Tyler was chatting and laughing with someone, sounding slightly annoyed.
Heh... Seeing this, Nick couldn't help but smile.