Another win for the product design of the Automated First Responder Drone X4. This time, the Red Dot Award's highest distinction “Best of the Best”. HHLA Sky joined a team from Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and Third Element Aviation to accept the award at the presentation ceremony in Essen, Germany. Following the German Design Award, the Red Dot Award is the second award in a row for the X4. According to Red Dot, it is “one of the best drones in recent years”.

The Red Dot Design Award is one of the most prestigious international design competitions. The competition is held in the three disciplines Product Design, Brands & Communication Design and Design Concept. The X4 triumphed in the category Product Design from among more than 7,900 entries from around 60 countries. In the category Drones and Action Cameras, the X4 is even the only product to receive the Red Dot Award: Best of the Best.

The X4 was developed and designed for the special requirements first responders and security professionals. The device provides support to emergency services of the police, fire department, rescue and civil protection, as well as for users in industry, for example in construction site monitoring.

The Red Dot jury praised the design of the X4 as “The best aesthetic result that can be achieved with this build type”. They also commended the “coherence” of the design relevant to the intended application context. The restrained and functional use of graphics and color, along with the execution of even the finest details, further impressed members of the jury.

From a technical point of view, the jury emphasized the robust design of the X4 and the fact that it is built with a minimum of moving parts, which also make it less prone to errors. The modular design also allows worn parts to be replaced quickly during operation, the jury added. In addition to optimized flight time, the jury praised the easy handling and straight-from-the-case fast operational readiness as further product advantages.

“The X4 is designed for absolute efficiency and usability,” confirms design professor Thomas Hofmann from Osnabruck’s University of Applied Sciences. He developed the design for HHLA Sky's X4 together with an interdisciplinary team of industrial designers, and experts in security, drones and IT.

“We focused on a modular concept that is easy to use and integrated industry-proven hardware. Thanks to the great cooperation of everyone involved, the design demonstrates exactly this high standard of quality. It was teamwork that really paid off!” happily notes Matthias Gronstedt, Managing Director of HHLA Sky, together with Marius Schröder, Managing Director of Third Element Aviation.

In terms of system design, the judges emphasized the high degree of attention given by the developers to cybersecurity and operational safety. These are essential for a professional tool.

“Our customers often operate in critical infrastructures. That's why our design approach included operational safety and cyber security from the very beginning,” explains Matthias Gronstedt from HHLA Sky. Data security is also an integral part of a German engineering product like the X4.

Automation is the real innovation of the X4. “This makes drone operations scalable.” says Matthias Gronstedt. As a result, the X4 can form a unit with HHLA Sky's Integrated Control Center, which is a highly automated cybersecurity-certified mobile robot management software in compliance with industry standard IEC 62443. It controls and monitors the drones. This allows simultaneous flight of 100 or 200 X4 drones, which can complete different missions in entirely different locations. Even without pilots on site.

It provides demanding customers in industry and government with a powerful automated tool that significantly increases operational efficiency and is tailor-made for the ongoing digitalization of our society.

Discover more at: www.red-dot.org