Tundra is a modular drone developed in close collaboration with future users from science, the military, the fire services and agriculture, to name but a few. It adjusts flexibly to different scenarios for use and is simple to handle. Its stand-out feature is its replaceable arms, which allows the flight characteristics to be changed with just a few hand movements. It can carry up to three accessory parts with a total weight of 6 kg, including cameras, light modules or scientific equipment. Tundra is made from a carbon microfibre composite that can be processed in a procedure similar to 3D printing. This makes the drone very light, rugged and resistant to shocks. If it does crash, an integrated parachute ensures that the expensive and sensitive equipment elements also land safely on the ground.
Product of the month was chosen by Vito Oražem, Managing Director of Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen and Director of this Museum. He gave the reasons for his choice as follows:
“Designers make it possible to turn scientific and technological developments into products. This is also the case with this product, in the newly emerging industry of small aerial vehicles. With this drone, the designers succeeded in marrying the technical necessities with ease-of-use and user friendliness, i.e. ‘usability’. The drone’s reduced and aesthetic form takes away any threatening or warlike appearance that stigmatises many products in this industry.”
Information on the product:
Tundra
Manufacturer: Hexadrone SAS, Saint-Just-Malmont, France
Design DÖT Design, Lyon, France