Recently, Lantern B1, the lightweight photovoltaic cleaning robot independently developed by Skysys Intelligent, has claimed two prestigious international design awards in succession: the 2026 Red Dot Award: Design Concept and the 2026 French Design Award (FDA). Following its accolades at the World UAV Congress International Unmanned Systems Design Award and China Design Intelligence Award (DIA) in 2024, this latest double win marks another landmark international recognition for Skysys Intelligent in the industrial design arena. It confirms that Lantern series robots have secured a top-tier global standing in integrating product aesthetics and engineering innovation.
Two Top International Awards Validate Premier Design Capability
Launched in 2005 by Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, the Red Dot Award: Design Concept serves as a forward-looking platform to discover and honor pioneering design concepts yet to become mainstream commercial products. Dubbed the "Oscar of the design industry", it evaluates entries across innovation, functionality, aesthetic value, sustainability and more, with only a tiny fraction of submissions receiving the award each year. The Red Dot seal is universally recognized as a hallmark of outstanding design innovation, signifying cutting-edge creative prowess. Past recipients of its highest honor, Red Dot: Luminary, include landmark design projects from global industry leaders such as Hyundai, Lilium, Yamaha and Google.
Established in 2015 by the International Awards Associates (IAA), the French Design Award (FDA) recognizes groundbreaking designs across architecture, interior, product, packaging and other sectors. Its jury comprises world-renowned design specialists, academics and industry pioneers, assessing works based on innovation, functionality, aesthetics, sustainability and social impact. Regarded as one of the world’s elite industrial design honors, it stands as a benchmark atop the design pyramid. The competition features extremely low acceptance rates: merely around 6% of global entries earn selection annually, with fewer than 1% claiming gold medals.
Lantern B1’s simultaneous capture of both awards is solid proof that its design philosophy and engineering execution have earned dual validation from the world’s most authoritative judging panels.
Core Advantages of Lantern B1
Developed by Skysys Intelligent for complex scenarios including mountain photovoltaic power stations, highway slopes and industrial & commercial rooftops, Lantern B1 is a lightweight PV cleaning robot engineered to resolve core industry pain points of traditional manual cleaning: low efficiency and severe safety hazards on steep, uneven terrain, enabling fully unmanned daily operation of PV power plants.
Design Philosophy
Lantern B1 adopts an industrial design language that balances minimalism and practicality. It integrates tracked mobility and body adsorption into one unified structure, enabling stable operation on PV panels with inclinations up to 30°. Weighing only 17 kilograms, its lightweight build supports two deployment methods: manual transportation and UAV delivery, catering to diverse demands of distributed PV facilities and remote power stations.
User Experience
Equipped with multi-layer edge detection systems, the robot can identify PV panel borders in real time and automatically adjust its travel path to prevent falling off panels. Operators can launch cleaning tasks with one tap via a mobile APP; the robot autonomously maps routes and completes full cleaning workflows, delivering truly user-friendly, one-touch operation.
Engineering Performance
While maintaining a lightweight form factor, Lantern B1 delivers robust structural strength and long service life. Its tracked chassis expands contact area with PV panels, lowering surface pressure and boosting its ability to cross gaps between panels for smoother movement. Featuring dry push-sweeping technology optimized for dust buildup, it removes surface dust without water, eliminating secondary pollution risks.
Innovation Driven by Design
Transformed from conceptual design to mass-produced equipment, Lantern B1 has achieved commercial deployment across more than ten provinces and municipalities nationwide, serving complex application scenarios ranging from mountain PV farms to highway slopes and industrial rooftops. Winning both the Red Dot and French FDA design awards stands as powerful testament to Skysys Intelligent’s core philosophy: innovation fueled by superior design.
Moving forward, Skysys Intelligent will continue to leverage industrial design to guide product R&D, striking an optimal balance between aesthetics, functional performance and user experience. The company will bring more technologically robust, visually refined products to global markets, unlocking greater value from every ray of sunlight.
