While winter holidays are full of traditions and customs, sometimes it is great fun to look at everything in a playful and inventive way. That is exactly how VILNIUS TECH is sending its greetings this year, having lifted a flying Christmas tree into the sky. This gravity-defying Christmas surprise, according to its creators – innovators from the Antanas Gustaitis Aviation Institute (AGAI) – inspires creativity and proves just how interesting, fun, and festive engineering can be.
It is unlikely that one often sees a Christmas tree cutting through the sky; most people choose more grounded options for the holidays. However, the young innovators from the VILNIUS TECH AGAI Aeronautics Laboratory do not seek light and simple solutions – they are constantly working on creative technical projects, fulfilling various prototyping orders, and constructing unmanned aerial vehicles.
They pay close attention to the quality of studies, working with students and their final theses, so it is no surprise that the flying tree – equipped with four motors, a flight computer, and a GNSS receiver capable of executing automated missions – was created by a mixed team.
Both graduates and current laboratory employees, as well as students participating in racing drone workshops, contributed to this festive initiative: Aleksandr Lapušinskij, Laurynas Arštikys, Dominykas Petrulaitis, Kasparas Vincentas Mičiūnas, Benediktas Ščiučka, Arnoldas Novikevičius, Mantas Peleckas, Domantas Gramata, Justas Novikovas and Paulina Somaryuk.
“Our team is united not only by professional competencies but also by a very clear, shared passion for aviation, technology, and creativity. Innovation and creativity are like part of our DNA: we try to look at any project, even a complex engineering task, originally, and this leads to new, unexpected solutions that brighten the life of our university community.
This tree is also a creative project that demonstrates how technology can merge with a festive mood,” says Aleksandr Lapušinskij, Head of the VILNIUS TECH AGAI Aeronautics Laboratory.
Truth be told, this is not the first drone-flown tree created by the innovators. However, the first one was simpler – without an autopilot, with a single motor, and manually controlled aerodynamic surfaces.
“The current tree is much more modern; furthermore, its control is simpler, and its design is more aesthetic,” the interviewee adds.
The team designed and manufactured it from start to finish in their laboratory: the shape was achieved by gluing foam boards, which were painted and decorated with Christmas ornaments, while the drone was constructed from an aluminum frame, onto which electronic devices and motors were mounted.
Nevertheless, the process was not without challenges, as it was necessary to reconcile several seemingly contradictory things – maintaining a lightweight yet sufficiently strong structure, hiding the propellers, and simultaneously ensuring a stable and safe flight.
“The biggest challenge was finding the balance between aesthetics and the laws of physics: what looks good on the ground does not necessarily fly well in the air, so we had to make compromises, adjust shapes, reduce weight, and rethink fastening solutions.
Everything had to be done within a limited time, but that is exactly what turned this project into a fun creative challenge. Some solutions were born spontaneously – by testing, observing the result in real conditions, and relying on experience. It was most fun to creatively construct from what we had in the laboratory and see the tree come to life,” say The Aeronautics Laboratory team.
According to A. Lapušinskij, such projects always remind us that engineering involves not only calculations and drawings but also intuition, experimentation, and creative freedom, demonstrating that technology can be playful and create a festive mood.
“This is precisely what the tree we created symbolizes – even complex tasks can be solved with childlike curiosity, and engineering can be not only precise and rational but also creative and joyful. At the same time, it invites us to move forward, experiment boldly, and meaningfully combine traditions with innovations,” shares A. Lapušinskij.
The Aeronautics Laboratory team wish the same for other members of the VILNIUS TECH community and everyone reached by this greeting – more playfulness and creativity, without forgetting childhood curiosity and an open, sincere view of the world.
“May that inner child living within each of us boldly lead toward new ideas, discoveries, and creation, while engineering curiosity encourages us to ask, create, and not be afraid to try. May technology and science always walk alongside humanity, community, and warmth. We wish everyone peaceful, bright holidays, inspiration for the coming year, and joy in both work and daily moments,” the creators of the tree send their greetings on the occasion of the most beautiful holidays of the year.
Link to the video greeting – here.
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