Skybridge

Unmanned Helicopter for Beihang University

Designed for ship to island cargo transport, this helicopter draws biomimetic inspiration from marine organisms' hydrodynamic efficiency. The streamlined fuselage and rotor system, engineered through analysis of oceanic lifeforms' drag resistant structures, achieves 260kg payload capacity, 6,000m altitude with 12m/s wind resistance, via biomechanically optimized airframe and multi hook suspension. These redefine maritime logistics, specifically solving last mile delivery challenges for portless islands.

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Skybridge by sxdesign

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Unmanned Helicopter by sxdesign

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sxdesign Skybridge

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sxdesign Unmanned Helicopter

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Beihang UniversityBrand Logo

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Skybridge Unmanned Helicopter Press Releases

Press resources for Skybridge are offered in several languages: English.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Project Overview

Skybridge Unmanned Helicopter has been a Silver winner in the Futuristic Design award category in the year 2024 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.

Silver Recognition

sxdesign was recognized with the coveted Silver A' Design Award in 2025, a testament to excellence of their work Skybridge Unmanned Helicopter.

sxdesign Press Releases

Access a rich repository of press releases on sxdesign, offered to press and media professionals for unrestricted use in their stories. 19 press releases are now available for immediate access by journalists.

sxdesign Unveils Skybridge: Award-Winning Unmanned Helicopter Revolutionizes Island Cargo Delivery

sxdesign has launched Skybridge, a biomimetic unmanned helicopter engineered for efficient cargo transport from ships to portless islands, overcoming geographical barriers with advanced aerospace technology. Developed in Beijing between January 2024 and February 2025, Skybridge recently won the Silver A' Futuristic Design Award for its innovative approach to maritime logistics and sustainable delivery solutions.

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