🚀 go-pugleaf

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    The use of computer control for the firing of aerial shells has already
  been done and is sold commercially. The company is Pyrodigital Consultants
  in Pebble Beach, Ca. A more unlikely place to have a "pyro shop" I can't
  imagine, yet since it's in my backyard I was glad to hear of it. The system
  is controlled using a PC and is kept in sync with a musical program via time
  code on a second audio track. It is more work than you can imagine to do the
  scripting for the firing in relation to the music. Samples for each different
  shell type "have to be" tested to determine the time from ignition to burst;
  a timer and photo-optic detector are used. This is hand fed into the master
  scripting program as a prefire offset. When it all works and the bursts are
  in time with the music it is truly awesome. I can remember one occasion where
  the finale was scripted to "Eye of the Tiger" the aerial bombs (6" flash
  powder shells) perfectly created a sustained roll of thunder in sync with
  the music that left me with my jaw hanging. There was of course another
  occasion not so memorable, the units that fire the squibs are each addressed
  over a differential communications line with each unit being manually set
  to a particular address. Well as it turned out the units that were to fire
  the finale were addressed wrong and the entire finale went up only a quarter
  into the show. That sure wouldn't have happened with a hand fired show.


Luke Coletti

MBARI
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute