It feels like drones were built for this moment. The coronavirus pandemic has forced everyone to spend the majority of their time indoors and, where possible, maintain a healthy distance from anyone that doesn’t live in the same building. Companies have introduced numerous measures to minimize the threat and spread of infection. Countless stores have acrylic screens, for instance, and many delivery drivers leave orders at your doorstep.
But a robot — or specifically, a drone — offers a potentially safer and quicker method of exchanging goods and services. It’s no wonder, then, that so many commercial UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) operators are flourishing at the moment. In a time of crisis, they’re keen to step forward and showcase the impact that drone deliveries can have on society.
Take Matternet. Last month, logistics powerhouse UPS announced that its Flight Forward subsidiary — which uses Matternet’s M2 drone system — would support a retirement community in Florida by ferrying medicine from a nearby CVS pharmacy. It’s a short route and, for the initial flights at least, it requires a human concierge to take the delivery to the customer’s door. Still, it’s a welcome service for people that many would consider high risk and might not be able to leave their homes every day.
Everdrone is making a similar effort to help the medical community. The emergency response specialist has announced a drone program that will bring Automated External Defibrillators to people in Gothenburg, Sweden, who have gone into cardiac arrest. The scheme, which starts next month, could help bystanders to deliver lifesaving care while they wait for medical professionals to arrive.
Everdrone is planning three drone “systems,” each based in a different location, that will cover emergency 112 calls in a 6 km (roughly 4-mile) radius. Once summoned, it will head to the caller’s location and lower the defibrillator from a safe height. On the other side of the world, drone operator Zipline is helping medical professionals in Ghana.
As we reported last month, the company has stepped up its deliveries to ensure hospitals have the products they need and minimize the threat of transmission from truck drivers. Zipline’s system, which uses autonomous gliders instead of quadcopters, has also played a role in distributing personal protective equipment (PPE). At the start of the pandemic, the country had a limited amount — not enough for every doctor and nurse — and only a vague idea about where the first COVID-19 cases might appear. It made sense, therefore, to give Zipline some of the stock and have them act as a centralized distribution hub.
With drones making a visible impact during the coronavirus pandemic, we can reasonably expect a lot more drone deliveries in the near future.
