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Skybridge Беспилотен хеликоптер by Chen Xu

Skybridge Беспилотен хеликоптер by Chen Xu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Сребрена награда A' Design Award in Футуристички дизајн Competition Category.


СребренаФутуристички· 2025

Skybridge Беспилотен хеликоптер

by Chen Xu

Client: Beihang University

Сребрена награда A' Design Award Winner in Футуристички Category

Colors

The Design

About Skybridge Беспилотен хеликоптер

Skybridge е беспилотен хеликоптер дизајниран за испорака на товар од бродови до острови без пристаништа. Конструкцијата на летот ги следи аеродинамичните форми на морските организми за да го намали отпорот на воздухот и потрошувачката на енергија. Панелите на трупот се обликувани од едно парче композитни материјали, а внатрешната структура користи јаглеродни влакна за намалување на тежината од 32 проценти. Систем за суспензија со повеќе куки и витли на подвозјето овозможуваат носивост од 260 килограми на височини до 6.000 метри и при ветрови од 12 метри во секунда. Операторите на придружниот брод далечински го управуваат хеликоптерот, водени од вградени камери и сензори.

The Recognition

About the Сребрена награда A' Design Award

Skybridge Беспилотен хеликоптер е добитник на Сребрената награда A' Design Award, извонредно престижно признание што се доделува на врвни, прекрасни и импресивни дизајни. Сребрените добитници се исклучително бриљантни и многу креативни дела што ја покажуваат одличната стручност, талентот и проникливоста на нивните дизајнери. Се очекува Skybridge Беспилотен хеликоптер да биде прекрасно, примерно, извонредно професионално и длабоко иновативно дело. Овој дизајн со Сребрена награда е значаен, восхитуван пронајдок што придонесува за поместување на границите на уметноста, науката, дизајнот и технологијата. Skybridge Беспилотен хеликоптер е творба на која многумина и завидуваат, која ги буди желбите, носи позитивни чувства и предизвикува восхит и чудење.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties
Designed for cargo delivery to portless islands, this helicopter overcomes geographical barriers. Its biomechanically optimized airframe, multi-hook suspension, and intelligent undercarriage winches achieve a 260kg payload capacity—operating reliably at 6,000m altitude and 12m/s winds, redefining aerial logistics for extreme environments.
Dimensions & Packaging
with rotor: 3786X3600X1330mm
without rotor:2660X1054X950mm
Tags
Civil Drone, Product Design, Remotely Piloted Aircraft, Unmanned Helicopter, Maritime Transport
Production Technology
The manufacturing process integrates the modular assembly concept of the naval industry, and adopts composite materials to realize one-piece molding of the fuselage covering parts. The internal structure uses carbon fiber materials to achieve a 32% breakthrough in lightweight, which significantly improves the carrying efficiency. The streamlined aerodynamic design is modeled after marine life, which ensures the structural strength and effectively reduces the operational energy consumption.
Design Challenge
Balancing the societal need for efficient island resupply with minimizing environmental impact and complying with UAV regulations proved challenging. Developing a safe, reliable unmanned system with the required payload and capture capabilities required extensive research and design iterations.
Research
This design analyzes the efficient movement mechanism of marine organisms through bionic methods, focusing on the hydrodynamic curves and their energy transfer modes when fish swim. Combined with computational fluid dynamics simulation and 3D scanning modeling technology, the bio-evolutionary advantages of marine organisms, such as drag-reducing characteristics, are transformed into UAV engineering parameters.
Inspiration
This unmanned helicopter is designed for cargo transport from ships to portless islands. Maritime operational demands inspired its biomimetic approach, translating marine organisms' hydrodynamic efficiency into aerospace engineering. The streamlined fuselage curvature and rotor system synergy originate from analyzing oceanic lifeforms' drag-resistant structures.
Project Duration
The project started in January 2024 in Beijing and finished in February 2025 in Beijing.
Operation Flow
Operators on a support vessel remotely control the helicopter, using onboard cameras and sensors for real-time visual feedback. The operators identify and control helicopter to capture the cargo, providing a secure and damage-free delivery method compared to direct airdrops.
Team Members
Chen Xu
Wu Fangbo
Dr. Wang Lijing
Dr. Zhang Rong
Cai Tianyang
Zhang jun
Image Credits
Image #1: Creator sxdesign, 2025. Optional Image #1: Creator sxdesign, 2025. Optional Image #2: Creator sxdesign, 2025. Optional Image #3: Creator sxdesign, 2025. Optional Image #4: Creator sxdesign, 2025.

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