Emeth Wins the IF Design Award 2025: Defining New Standards for the Drone Industry

We are thrilled to announce that Emeth, the groundbreaking ultra-lightweight drone developed by SAES Design House, has won the prestigious IF Design Award 2025. This accolade recognizes Emeth’s exceptional design and technological innovations, setting new benchmarks for the drone industry.

Emeth’s unique combination of advanced materials, cutting-edge safety systems, and rethinking of drone functionality highlights its leadership in shaping the future of aerial technology.

Emeth is a concept drone developed by SAES Design House, incorporating exclusively proprietary components and technologies. These innovations, originally designed by SAES for other industries, have been re-engineered to fit an ultralight quadcopter, demonstrating their advantages in performance and technology for both the consumer and professional drone markets.

Patented Nitinol-Based Airbags

Emeth’s standout feature is its patented airbag system based on Nitinol, powered by Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) technology, which replaces traditional single-use pyrotechnic systems. Designed to deploy in under 40 milliseconds, this groundbreaking system provides rapid protection during emergencies, such as collisions or water landings. Unlike conventional airbags, Emeth’s system is reusable, lightweight, and can be activated either autonomously via proximity sensors or manually via remote control. With patents secured across Europe, the United States, Japan, and China, Emeth showcases how SMA technology can enhance products where minimizing weight and volume is critical.

Next-Generation SMA Camera Stabilization System

Emeth introduces a revolutionary approach to camera stabilization by replacing traditional gimbals with a Nitinol-based stabilizer. This compact, lightweight system delivers smooth, professional-grade footage while drastically reducing the camera’s size and weight. Originally developed by SAES for mobile phone applications, this solution is ideal for next-generation ultra-compact cameras, where reduced dimensions do not compromise image quality.

AM for Functions Aggregation

SAES Design House has delved into additive manufacturing (AM) for polymers and, more recently, metals, specifically special alloys. The aim is to create monomaterial, monocoque systems with variable functions. During prototype production for a research project for the B!POD brand, SAES experimented with Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) technology using thin aluminum-magnesium alloys. They found that, depending on geometry, mechanical performance could surpass that of carbon fiber at the same weight, offering greater formal freedom. Using AM, they designed a monocoque drone that integrates multiple functionalities, such as thermal dissipation and the containment chamber for the airbag system.

Transparent Design: An Homage to the Hi-Tech Movement

Emeth’s transparent protective dome, inspired by aeronautics, serves not only to protect the internal components but also as a mounting plane for a flexible electronic circuit managing 70% of the drone’s circuitry. Emeth consolidates SAES’s design language, established with the 2020 Nebula project, a design philosophy grounded in materials innovation to reinvent products and systems.

Emeth: Setting Procedure Standards for the Drone Industry

By combining advanced materials with a “rethinking everything” approach, Emeth explores the potential for establishing safety standards within the drone industry. From logistics to filmmaking, racing to emergency response, Emeth addresses critical safety concerns while delivering superior performance and durability.

Discover What’s Next in Drone Technology

At SAES Design House, we believe that the future of products lies in our philosophy: “Design inspired by nature, driven by science.” Emeth is designed to inspire people who aim to create a better future and to explore the next evolution of drone features using SAES’s advanced materials.