A developer of electric drones for ‘sustainable forestry’,
AirForestry is collaborating with Swedish design and technology company
Stilfold to build drone systems that are not only extremely light but also strong. The partnership will leverage Stilfold’s patented origami-inspired curve-folding technology and RISE’s AI competence (RISE — Research Institutes of Sweden — is the project coordinator and is contributing its expertise in physics-informed AI) to develop ‘a new generation of robust, lightweight components’.
The project addresses the need for the fast and flexible development of complex, lightweight metal products, and will see Stilford contribute its ‘unique manufacturing and design method’, which reduces both material waste and energy consumption. The goal is to use machine learning to automate the design of optimised structures that are strong, lightweight, and tailored for efficient production.
Mauritz Andersson, AirForestry’s CTO and co-founder, said: “Stilford has a revolutionary technology for shaping lightweight steel. For us, this is a perfect match because, working with airborne systems, we always need materials that are both durable and extremely lightweight. This technology directly meets the needs of AirForestry, which develops electric drones for selective tree harvesting to reduce the environmental impact of forestry. The drones require systems that are extremely lightweight yet robust enough to withstand harsh forest environments.”
Lightweight and strong structuresJonas Nyvang, Stilfold’s CEO, said: “Our technology is perfectly suited to create the lightweight and strong structures that AirForestry needs. With support from
Advanced Digitalization (a Swedish industry-driven research and innovation programme) and
Vinnova (Sweden’s innovation agency) we can now accelerate the development of AI-driven design engineering and strengthen our competitiveness.”
Olle Gelin, AirForestry’s CEO and co-founder, concluded: “AirForestry’s drone system features robust, lightweight components. The Vinnova-financed PINNForm project offers an opportunity to explore new metal constructions with a special focus on components where low weight combined with high stiffness and strength is crucial. It is exciting to participate in a project that combines cutting-edge design and manufacturing technology with AI optimisation. We look forward to seeing how it can strengthen our future systems.”