HORYZN is a student initiative from the Technical University of Munich with over 60 members from many different nationalities. The goal of the initiative is to develop and build emergency response drones. HORYZN’s Mission Pulse project is revolutionizing emergency response by enabling defibrillator transport via drone. They aim to half the response time compared to ambulances, and thereby triple the chance of survival.
The journey began with the first drone Frankenstein, developed within a year to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept. Guided by their motto “Build fast, fly early”, the team gathered critical insights that greatly influenced the development of the second prototype Kolibri. With Kolibri, they refined every aspect of the drone – from improving the design and aerodynamics, implementing new autonomy features and enhancing our manufacturing processes.
For the manufacture of Kolibri, HORYZN opted for a state-of-the-art sandwich structure consisting of:
• outer layer: carbon reinforced plastic (prepreg)
• core layer: Diab’s Divinycell F foam
• inner layer: carbon prepreg
The foam core from Diab is a game-changer in enabling lightweight yet robust structures. Compared to other core materials they used before, Diab’s Divinycell F foam has elevated the performance and manufacturability by offering:
• Increased strength
• Ultra-lightweight performance
• Temperature resistance
• Exceptional drapability
As some team members continue refining Kolibri to unlock its full potential, an exciting new mission is on the horizon:
HORYZN is developing an autonomous emergency passenger aircraft — set to be the largest student-built drone in Europe! Over the next three years, they will design, build, test, and ultimately showcase this groundbreaking aircraft at the GoAero Prize Competition in the USA.
Embarking on this ambitious new journey, the team would like to once again emphasize that this wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering support of the sponsors. The entire HORYZN team extends a heartfelt thank you to Diab, for believing in their vision. Together, we are prototyping the aerospace of tomorrow!
