UPS has started delivering medical samples in the US using drones built by Matternet.The flights: They’re taking place at the WakeMed hospital and campus in Raleigh in North Carolina. The first flight was last Tuesday, and the drones are now flying across the campus about 10 times a day. This is the first revenue-generating drone delivery scheme to be approved by the Federal Aviation Authority, as part of a three-year program to test drones’ practical applications.
The drones: They can carry up to 5 pounds of cargo over distances of up to 12.5 miles. They’re autonomously flying along a set path for this project, monitored by a human pilot in case of any accidents.
The logic: Currently, most medical samples are moved around the campus by car. The hope is that these drones will help to cut traffic on the roads around the hospital and decrease costs. Moving around medical samples has proven to be one of the most compelling early uses for drone deliveries. Other applications are taking much longerto become commercially viable.