Looks like drones really are the future of cargo and transportation. This week drone delivery systems received approvals from the Department of Transportation for different areas in the US. These groundbreaking approvals not only signify more acceptance from the general public towards drones. It also means that, for efficiency and price, drones beat the older methods.
Methods like truck, motorcycle, and carrier deliveries take time to process and actually deliver. A drone can launch into the air within minutes after getting the package. This means the time between ordering and getting the item minimize significantly.
This proves even more valuable when it comes to medical items. In Reno, Nevada, for example, they have started plans on delivering defibrillators to clinics and field work.
Time is always a cause for concern regardless of the patient’s state. Medicine arriving in time to a clinic, or an organ arriving hours ahead of schedule could prove priceless to its recipients. The approval of more drone-related deliveries would mean a future where there are no longer late arrivals. Traffic jams, car troubles, and unexpected obstacles would no longer be a problem to watch out for. Now, people will only have to worry about the actual medicine rather than the delivery time.
Raleigh Blood Drones:
In the city of Raleigh for instance, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) received approval for drone deliveries in the area. Through the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program, the NCDOT contacted several private companies to create the drone delivery system from scratch. This includes distribution centers to serve as bases for the drones, and of course, the delivery drones themselves. At the end of this system’s creation, the NCDOT hopes to have multiple centers where drones can deliver. This means more dots on the map, making sure all areas have equal reach for delivery.
The problem with delivery drones is that they have limited range. Even with expensive drones, you still have a reach limit for deliveries. That is why multiple stations are there; so the UAVs can easily have multiple starting locations, to cater to their destinations.
Raleigh’s NCDOT looked into different drone companies for this endeavor. Companies included were Matternet, Zipline, and Flytrex. All of which have established their drone technology outside the United States.
Like Reno’s drone plans, they are looking into transporting medical supplies from hospital to field, or vice versa. Raleigh’s area shows more focus on delivering blood, however, instead of defibrillators. With drones delivering blood, there would no longer be panic in cases of emergency. Proper blood types may complicate things and supplies may be an issue before. If drones deliver blood, any blood type at any amount can arrive minutes after it is needed.
Speed is the name of the game and drones are clearly ahead of the pack.
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