The covid-19 pandemic is leading to an acceleration in innovation and now it's drones' turn to stand in the spotlight
By Oliver Usher, Principal Researcher, Nesta. Translation: Ronit Meiri-Feld
In an announcement recently published by the British government, there is talk of aerial and unmanned vehicles (drones) that will be able to deliver, as early as the beginning of May, essential personal protective equipment from the English mainland to the National Health System (NHS) teams located on the Isle of Wight. The drones will be able to transport 100 kg of equipment over a distance of 6 miles (10 km) and should make the transition in only 10-15 minutes.
This is just one example of many, of a huge technological change created specifically to meet the unprecedented challenge of the corona virus.
The benefit of using drones in the medical sector has been clear for quite a few years and many start-ups, well funded, have tried to work on the matter around the world.
In developed countries, where the road infrastructure is good and the airspace regulation is strict and in the health services - there are well-established logistics networks and many companies are struggling to get in. The experiment of the Swiss company 'Metrant' was a rare success when it began to transfer medical samples between hospitals in Lugano on multi-rotor drones, ( although there were problems there too at the beginning).
Most of the innovation takes place in developing countries where the need for it is urgent and more difficult to achieve, with the Zipline company taking its place in several countries in Africa. The company currently uses fixed drones to drop packages from the air, (even blood packages) in rural areas with poor access roads.
So this is essentially a new experiment, which bodes well for Britain.
At Nesta, we have been examining, for the past two and a half years, the future of drones in the UK. A number of hypothetical uses were also tested, including the transportation of medical items across the 'Solent', the water area located between the British mainland and the Isle of Wight. The findings show that this research has positive implications that will extend beyond the coronavirus crisis. Although the public service is extremely valuable now, But not only. It will also help break down some of the barriers that lie in the way of adopting the matter more broadly.
use technology
Already in the report published in 2018, we discovered enthusiasm for the use of drones in the public service, but there are three difficult problems that need to be addressed before it becomes commonplace.
The first problem is technical and includes the development of safe long-distance flights, autonomous pilots and precise flight. All of these rely on the development and improvement of communication networks and air traffic management at low altitude.
The UK government's industrial strategy project, the Future Flight Challenge, includes more than £100 million of public funds, which are earmarked for the research and development of drones and other aerospace technologies.
But long distance drone flights across the 'Solent' will be a great test that will build a record, help generate data and improve confidence in the technology.
The government recently announced the funding of other programs related to the corona virus, including drones that are supposed to help create more innovation in the field.
Collaboration is key
The second problem is the incompatibility. There are many companies dealing with drones and many innovative ideas. in a survey conducted in the field.
In 2018 we found over 700 such companies in the UK and today there are already many more.
Organizations, construction companies and infrastructure owners in particular, are also interested, but in the research we conducted in 2019 and in the workshops we held afterwards with inventors and potential customers, we discovered that people who should talk to each other often, do not do so and the government and regulation move slowly without drawing lessons from the industry.
Technology developers are not involved and 'end' users such as local councils and hospitals use their own research and development.
These potential users often don't take the risk of paying for drone development programs, but there is movement in that direction.
The innovation team of the Civil Aviation Authority changed, in the last two years, the regulator's approach, and an initiative was established to help companies with innovative ideas navigate the complex rules surrounding safety and obtain the permissions they need. This will be a welcome addition and will create tangible evidence of how a drone service can benefit the health services and leverage relationships between them and the drone companies and regulators.
public support
And of course there is the third problem, which is public support.
Does the public even want drones? If so, for what purposes? And who will run them?
When we researched this we found strong support for the use of drones in public service, but more suspicion around the hobby and commercial use, but public opinion is still forming on the matter.
Drones are not yet in widespread use and most people haven't really had to give it a thought yet - but that will change as they become more widespread.
The questions are not ones that have right or wrong answers; They deal with values and priorities.
The drone industries should engage with this issue in the public not superficially, but teach the public as much as possible, the potential benefits of using them.
The national health system will not be affected. In fact, in today's situation, with a real case like the one of the Corona, these conversations may become more matter-of-fact.
The extraordinary circumstances of the corona virus - during which the public enthusiastically adopted the more extreme economic and public health measures that were here, do not represent normal times, and drones that are operated in city centers and not overseas, may cause more disputes.
However, for now, we must move quickly. Engaging the public in the matter to understand what they really think will come later, at the end of the crisis, then we can calm down and delve into the matter in the future.
to the article on The Conversation website
More of the topic in Hayadan:
3 תגובות
The distance between the Isle of Wight and the "mainland" is about 45 km, something that is probably known to many Britons, but not really to Israelis, so the English wording was not able to be translated into Hebrew.
Apart from that, several places in Africa already have a network of tiny autonomous planes that are able to transport medical equipment to the ends of the earth, beyond the roads of the underworld and return safely to their base.
To NH you took the words out of my keyboard the good people at "Yaden" mixed the specific task with (10 minutes) with the features of the "drone"
range up to 621 miles): https://dronedj.com/2020/04/27/jumbo-drone-will-deliver-medical-supplies-to-isle-of-wight-in-the-uk/
"The drones will be able to transport 100 kg of equipment over 600 miles and should make the transition in just 10-15 minutes."
It leaves a speed close to Mach 4