Drone delivery company Wing and healthcare logistics company Apian are to launch a rapid medical drone delivery service in the Dundrum area of South Dublin at the end of June lasting 3-6 months. The trial will feature a limited number of flights, focusing on enhancing efficiency and reliability in medical supply deliveries and will deliver to hospitals rather than homes. The drones will fly Monday-Friday between the hours of 9 am-5 pm with up to 20 flights per day. Flights will only take place during daylight hours, so in winter the hours of operation may be less.
The Wing drone is primarily made of foam, weighs around 5kg, carries around 1kg, and will cruise at about 100 km/h. The drone has been flown on three continents with over 350,000 commercial deliveries and thousands more test and simulation flights. The drones will fly at a height of approximately 45 metres. They are highly automated and operate along pre-programmed flight routes. All flights are overseen by a trained Pilot in Command. There are multiple levels of redundancy built into the drones’ operations, including real-time systems that conduct health and safety checks on the drones and qualified pilots who oversee operations. They’re equipped with low-resolution, black-and-white camera sensors used primarily to assist with navigation and to help ensure the safety and reliability of operations. There is no live feed of images available to anyone including the safety pilots supervising flights. All drones are fully electric and emit zero carbon emissions during flight. Wing’s operations follow strict regulations which are overseen by the Irish Aviation Authority.
The trial will involve two Dublin hospitals with the primary goal of improving the patient experience by ensuring timely delivery of essential medical supplies, medical devices and other related medical products while simultaneously reducing traffic congestion and emissions in the community. Wing aims to offer a faster, more reliable, lower-cost, and lower-emission alternative to the current delivery methods involving cars, vans, and motorbikes used in Dublin. By leveraging the capabilities of drone delivery, Wing and Apian aim to set a new standard for medical logistics, ensuring that critical supplies reach their destinations with speed and efficiency.
