Parallax Advanced Research Independent Research and Development (IR&D)


Cellulose-Enabled Robust Supply Chains is a Parallax IR&D effort advancing expeditionary manufacturing that turns cellulose-rich waste streams into structural feedstock for rapid production of mission-relevant end items in austere environments. The goal is to sustain capability when contested logistics limit traditional sourcing and replacement..

Cellulose-Enabled Robust Supply Chains


Who It Serves

Supports U.S. and allied operational units that must maintain readiness with distributed, in-theater replenishment—especially when access to conventional manufacturing and resupply is constrained.


Why It’s IR&D and Why It Matters

IR&D accelerates this work by maturing a reusable, local-material manufacturing pathway before formal sponsorship—reducing technical and operational risk and producing a transition-ready foundation for multiple DoD mission applications.


How It’s Being Researched and Delivered

Parallax is maturing a cellulosic production workflow designed for sub-24-hour fabrication at scale without skilled labor, strengthened by LLM-enabled design iteration so non-expert operators can adapt structures to evolving mission needs. Delivery is demonstration-driven via a cellulose drone airframe prototype and in-theater CONOPs to validate production logistics and operational fit.

Our Impact

  • “Contested supply chains are a defining constraint in future conflict—and cellulose gives us a scalable, local-material path to keep critical capability in-theater.” – Michael Simon, Ph.D., MBA, VP of Advanced Technology Disruptive Solutions Division 

  • Parallax is reducing operational risk from contested domestic and international supply chains by turning cellulose—an abundant natural resource and dominant waste stream—into a structural feedstock for rapid, at-scale fabrication of end-item structures in austere environments. By combining LLMs with cellulosic production workflows, even unskilled operators can iteratively adapt designs to shifting mission needs, accelerating innovation cycles at the tactical edge. We are validating this approach through a prototype cellulose drone airframe and in-theater CONOPs to prove logistics and production feasibility. At brigade scale, the available cellulose waste stream is projected to support ~600 airframes per day, enabling distributed replenishment capacity even under interdiction.

  • In parallel, our natural fiber drone prototype demonstrates a practical pathway from prototype learning to repeatable, scalable airframe manufacturing using locally sourced fibers—bridging single builds to multi-build and mass-production considerations. Together, these efforts expand viable options for resilient, non-traditional structural fabrication and accelerate the transition from lab demonstrations to scalable operational capability.


Core Capabilities

  • Expeditionary, rapid manufacturing with cellulose feedstocks to fabricate end-item structures at scale in austere environments on <24-hour timelines, reducing reliance on contested supply chains.
  • AI-enabled design evolution for field production, leveraging Large Language Models alongside cellulosic production workflows so non-expert operators can iteratively adapt structural designs to changing mission requirements.
  • Airframe prototyping and scale-up planning with natural fibers, including full-scale drone structure prototyping, lessons-learned capture, and translation from single builds to repeatable multi-build and mass-production pathways.


Key Contributors