Last month, two hospitals in Switzerland have enlisted the help of drones to carry lab samples, bypassing the congestion of urban life. So far, 70 test flights were conducted between Ospedale Italiano and Ospedale Civico—two nearby hospitals located in the southern city of Lugano, Switzerland.
The drones used in this experiment were created by Matternet, a private drone manufacturer, and Swiss Post, the national postal service of Switzerland. Each drone is compact, measuring about 31.5 inches in diameter, not including its rotor blades. The drones can carry a maximum payload of 4.5 pounds for 12.5 miles at a speed of 22 mph.
Logically, delivery drones prove useful when attempting to reach difficult, dangerous, and inconvenient locations. In urban settings, traffic can considerably increase wait time, even though there are plenty of accessible roads. In medical emergencies, every second counts.
Once the transportation system is fully implemented, hospital staff will bundle laboratory payload onto the drone using a specialized safety box that will contain the packaged samples. By using a smartphone app, the drone will launch and autonomously complete its predefined path towards its destination.
For safety precautions, duplicates of vital components are installed including the autopilot software, altimeter, accelerometer, gyrometer, and additional onboard sensors.
“In the event of the failure of all electronics, a parachute would be released automatically,” according to Swiss Post in press statement. “A landing pad that transmits an infrared signal is used at the take-off and landing points. During its approach, the drone can detect this signal to ensure a pinpoint landing.”
As soon as all tests are complete and every requirement is met, the two hospitals will use these drones in everyday operations. This is expected to happen by 2018.
Watch the done delivery system in action in the video below.