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Pavelink Snjall vegagerðarvél by Yan Zhang and Jialu Hou

Pavelink Snjall vegagerðarvél by Yan Zhang and Jialu Hou is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award í járni in Framtíðarhönnun Competition Category.


JárnFramtíð· 2025

Pavelink Snjall vegagerðarvél

by Yan Zhang and Jialu Hou

Client: Shandong University of Art & Design

A' Design Award í járni Winner in Framtíð Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Pavelink Snjall vegagerðarvél

PaveLink er snjöll, einingamiðuð vegagerðarvél sem er hönnuð til að auka skilvirkni, öryggi og aðgengi í innviðaþróun. Hún byggir á vörubílakerfi sem dregur fjórar aftengdanlegar einingar sem umbreytast í sjálfstýrð þjöppunartæki, hleðsluvélar, jarðýtur og gröfur. Gervigreindarstýrt dróna veitir rauntímagreiningu á landslagi og hagræðir veglagningaraðferðir. Með því að samþætta sjálfvirkni, einingasveigjanleika og snjalla samræmingu flýtir PaveLink ekki aðeins vegagerð heldur hjálpar einnig til við að draga úr ójöfnuði í innviðum og gerir örugga og áreiðanlega vegi aðgengilegri

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award í járni

Pavelink Snjall vegagerðarvél vann A' Design Award í járni, virta viðurkenningu sem veitt er góðum hönnunarverkum sem uppfylla þær faglegu og iðnaðarlegu kröfur sem gerðar eru til vel hannaðra sköpunarverka. Sigurvegarar í járni sýna mikla færni, mikla sérhæfingu, sérfræðiskilning og skapandi getu höfunda sinna. Þess er vænst að Pavelink Snjall vegagerðarvél sé mjög metið, dáð og elskað sköpunarverk sem er hagnýtt og nýstárlegt. Þetta hönnunarverk sem vann A' Design Award í járni sameinar bestu starfsvenjur greinarinnar og hefur hæfa tæknilega eiginleika tengda þekkingu og hæfileikum. Pavelink Snjall vegagerðarvél er virt fyrir nákvæmni sína og er hannað til að veita lífsgæðabætur sem hjálpa til við að gera heiminn að betri stað.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
PaveLink is a next-generation intelligent road builder, designed to enhance efficiency and safety in disaster relief and infrastructure projects. Unlike traditional road machinery, it features a modular architecture, allowing its components to detach and function autonomously for excavation, loading, bulldozing, and compacting. The truck head serves as the central control hub, managing all modules and processing real-time aerial drone data for optimized decision-making. This AI-enhanced system redefines the future of road construction.
Dimensions & Packaging
17000mm x 4210mm x 3890mm
Tags
Autonomous Road Construction, Modular Heavy Machinery, AI-driven Paving System, Smart Road Builder, IoT in Construction, Disaster Relief Equipment, Smart Construction Technology, Unmanned Machinery, Collaborative Fleet
Production Technology
The design follows a human-centered approach, addressing inequalities in infrastructure development while enhancing safety in road construction. A modular design strategy improves efficiency and functionality, integrating cutting-edge technologies such as IoT, autonomous driving, and AI-assisted automation to minimize labor dependency. Powered by electricity, PaveLink utilizes drone inspections and backend data analysis for multi-module collaboration. It is not just an improvement of existing machinery but a new category of heavy machines.
Design Challenge
PaveLink is not a traditional construction vehicle but a new category of heavy machinery, making it a pioneering design with no direct reference models. The challenge was to integrate multiple functions while ensuring practicality and efficiency. Setting high design standards required continuous validation. Through multiple iterations, expert consultations, and prototype testing with industry partners, we developed a modular and intelligent collaborative system to meet real-world construction demands.
Research
This research is a collaborative project between academia and industry, exploring how emerging technologies can be integrated into large-scale machinery to solve real-world challenges in infrastructure development and unequal access to construction resources. The study combined academic creativity with industrial expertise, where universities contributed design innovation, and companies provided technical support and operator insights through interviews and feedback. This collaboration ensured PaveLink’s feasibility, advancing smart construction solutions that promote efficiency, safety, and inclusivity in future infrastructure development.
Inspiration
Road construction is the backbone of local development, yet many underdeveloped regions, disaster-affected areas, and rugged terrains face immense challenges in building and maintaining roads. High construction complexity and safety risks remain persistent issues. Inspired by emerging technologies, PaveLink integrates AI-driven automation and IoT connectivity to address disparities in infrastructure development, making road construction smarter, faster, and more resilient.
Project Duration
The project was launched in Shandong in February 2024 and concluded in Shandong in June 2024. It was recognized by the Shandong provincial government and participated in the 14th National Art Exhibition of China in 2024.
Operation Flow
Initially, PaveLink appears as a single truck, with all road-building modules connected. Upon reaching the construction site, the truck head acts as the command center, operated by technicians. The modules detach and transition into autonomous operation, optimizing workflow through AI-coordinated control. Powered by electricity, all units remain linked via cables, receiving real-time power and instructions. Aerial drones detach to provide precise terrain mapping and safety monitoring, ensuring optimal performance in complex environments.
Team Members
Yan Zhang
Jialu Hou
Image Credits
Project Assistant Lulu Zhang, Wenyi Qin

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