Skybridge Bezpilotný vrtuľník by Chen Xu

Skybridge Bezpilotný vrtuľník by Chen Xu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Strieborná cena A' Design Award in Futuristický dizajn Competition Category.

StriebornáFuturistický dizajn· 2025

Skybridge Bezpilotný vrtuľník

by Chen Xu

Client: Beihang University

Strieborná cena A' Design Award Winner in Futuristický dizajn Category

200,214

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #170590

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Skybridge Bezpilotný vrtuľník

Skybridge je bezpilotný vrtuľník navrhnutý na doručovanie nákladu z lodí na ostrovy bez prístavov. Drak lietadla sleduje aerodynamické tvary morských organizmov s cieľom znížiť odpor vzduchu a spotrebu energie. Panely trupu sú vylisované z kompozitných materiálov v jednom kuse a vnútorná konštrukcia využíva uhlíkové vlákna, čo prináša 32-percentné zníženie hmotnosti. Viachákový záves a navijaky v podvozku umožňujú užitočné zaťaženie 260 kilogramov vo výškach do 6 000 metrov a pri vetre s rýchlosťou 12 metrov za sekundu. Operátori na podpornom plavidle riadia vrtuľník na diaľku pomocou palubných kamier a senzorov.

The Recognition

About the Strieborná cena A' Design Award

Skybridge Bezpilotný vrtuľník je laureát Striebornej ceny A' Design Award, mimoriadne prestížneho uznania udeľovaného nádherným, pôsobivým dizajnom najvyššej kvality. Laureáti Striebornej ceny sú nesmierne brilantné a mimoriadne kreatívne diela, ktoré ilustrujú výnimočnú odbornosť, talent a bystrosť svojich dizajnérov. Od Skybridge Bezpilotný vrtuľník sa očakáva, že bude úžasným, vzorovým dielom, pozoruhodne profesionálnym a hlboko inovatívnym. Tento dizajn ocenený Striebornou cenou A' Design Award je veľmi pozoruhodný, obdivovaný vynález, ktorý prináša úžitok a posúva hranice umenia, vedy, dizajnu a technológie. Skybridge Bezpilotný vrtuľník je výtvor, ktorému mnohí závidia, ktorý vzbudzuje túžby, prináša pozitívne pocity a vyvoláva úžas a údiv.

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.