UPS and DRONEUP collaborate to test drone delivery of medical supplies
In the fight against the new coronavirus, UAVs will be used to deliver COVID-19 test kits and personal protective equipment to medical personnel on remote islands in Scotland.
As part of a two-week trial, Skyports, a drone delivery expert, will transport supplies between a hospital in Auburn and the Isle of Mal on the Scottish mainland. The distance between Lorn and Islands Hospital in Oban and Iona Community Hospital in Craignure on Mull is 10 miles.
According to Skyports, currently transporting medical supplies and specimens from Oban's laboratory and Mull's hospital requires a long and complex journey by sea and land.This service will shorten the delivery time for one-way ground transportation and ferries to about 6 hours, with on-demand drone delivery taking about 15 minutes, saving a lot of time and resources, and helping to maintain a leading position to ensure the safety of medical and delivery personnel, "Skyports said in a statement.UPS and DRONEUP collaborate to test drone delivery of medical supplies
The use of drones provides a real opportunity to improve services and will help our patients diagnose faster, "Argyll and Bute Health said Joanna Macdonald, CEO of the Social Care Partnership, said in a statement.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the UK has 262547 cases and 36996 deaths, making it one of the countries most severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. This is not the first time using drones to transport medical supplies.For example, DHL participated in a project to transport medical supplies through drones in Tanzania.
Earlier this year, UPS collaborated with DroneUp, an American drone delivery expert, to test drone delivery of medical supplies on the abandoned campus of St. Paul's College in Lawrenceville, Virginia.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, as of Tuesday morning, over 5.51 million cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed worldwide, with over 1.66 million cases in the United States. The disease has caused over 346700 deaths worldwide, including over 98000 in the United States