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| www.dronemagazine.nl |
The Swiss postal
service in collaboration with Ticino EOC hospital group and drone manufacturer
Matternet, have launched a system for autonomous drone delivery of laboratory
samples between two EOC hospitals in Lugano, Switzerland.
The samples
are currently transported by road and delays are always there because of heavy
traffic.
They have
already completed 70 test flights following which The Federal Office for Civil
Aviation (FOCA)has granted them license. Further testing is planned in April
and summer, before it can be used on daily basis.
By 2018, a hospital
staff will load the samples on drone, by a smartphone application. The drone
will then take off on a pretested, predetermined route to unload the samples at
another hospital.
The drone
used are equipped with modern technology, is compact, 80 cm in diameter, can
carry maximum weight of 2kg, fly at a speed of 36 km/hour up to maximum of 20
km. Lot of safety gears have been incorporated to assure safe delivery of the
samples, which includes a parachute that would be released in the event of the
failure of all electronics.
Swiss post
is the pioneer in the world to make use of autonomous drone logistics for a
commercial application in densely populated area. Application of drone
logistics will be particularly useful in delivering drugs and other medical
supplies in areas cut-off after storms or other natural disaster.
Matternet
CEO and cofounder Andreas Raptopoulos said, “This is a big milestone for us. It
means we can operate our technology throughout Switzerland. This will open a
big opportunity in medical and e-commerce.” He emphasized that Matternet’s
systems can be flown with the push of a button, and are authorized to fly
“beyond the line of sight,” in Switzerland.
Zipline has
already launched drones in Rwanda to deliver blood and medical supplies to
hospitals and clinics.
Matternet is
based at Menlo Park, California build world-class flying vehicles and
intelligent control software, integrated into a complete solution for automated
aerial logistics. It operates in collaboration with with world’s most trusted
organizations like Swiss Post, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Swiss WorldCargo, UNICEF,
World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders.
Sources:
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