California-based Zipline is a start-up that recently started to deliver blood and medical supplies in Rwanda. Now the company is expanding to the US.*Zipline plans to test their service in remote and rural communities like Maryland’s Smith Island, Native American reservations in Nevada, and the San Juan islands in Washington.
The 22-pound (10 kg) Zipline’s delivery drones can carry up to 3 pounds (1.3 kg) of blood or medicine, and has a range of up to 75 miles on a single charge. The idea is that when you make a blood delivery fast enough (within 30 minutes) you don’t need a heavy and power-consuming refrigerators.
Ordering Zipline is supposed to be as easy as hailing a Uber. When needed, health center employee has to call or send a text message to Zipline and a drone will airdrop the needed supplies within 30 minutes. System will send an alert two minutes prior the delivery and the package, equipped with a parachute, will land on the ground in a preselected landing spot. For its US launch, the startup has partnered with three healthcare companies — Ellumen, ASD Healthcare, and Bloodworks Northwest to provide supplies.
Drones are a keyword for 2016. They are everywhere. But when the technology starts saving lives, it stops to be a tech trend it starts to be a real and very needed revolution.
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