Aircraft Carrying Needed Supplies To Remote Areas Since 2016

Zipline Drones has grown its hospital delivery service to be able to serve 21 hospitals in the African country of Rwanda.

The hospitals range from tiny villages to remote cities hours outside the capital. The path to each can be quite challenging, with towering mountain ranges and seasonal rivers. Zipline flies over this challenging terrain and is able to reach Muhororo District Hospital in 17 minutes, while a truck would have to take a four hour journey by road to pick up blood, the company says on its website.

The company says it can operate in any weather, and blood is delivered to the hospitals by parachute. At its distribution center built on top of a hill near the town of Muhanga, Zipline operates 13 drones, known as "Zips", to transport blood to the hospitals it serves. Routes are created using 3-D satellite maps and extensive ground surveys to assure that the blood can be delivered safely. The aircraft are launched by catapult, and recovered using a system inspired by aircraft carriers. The drones have a tailhook which catch an arresting wire, and then drop the aircraft onto an air-filled cushion.

According to a report from the MIT Technology Review, Zipline plans to expand its delivery service from blood to other medical products, such as emergency rabies vaccines, drugs to fight such diseases as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, contraceptives and diagnostic test kits.

The costs of the project have not been disclosed. Rwanda reportedly pays Zipline a fixed price per delivery, with a minimum volume guarantee. However, neither party would discuss details of the agreement with MIT.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original report, flyzipline.com