Drone operator Dronamics says it will participate in flight trials using its Black Swan cargo drone, capable of carrying up to 350kg at a range of up to 2,500km, scheduled to be completed by 2024. The Care & Equity – Healthcare Logistics UAS Scotland (CAELUS) consortium successfully acquired over GBP10 million (USD12 million) in funding from the Future Flight Challenge at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and is in the process of establishing a national drone delivery network for medical supplies across Scotland. CAELUS consists of 16 partners, including AGS Airports (Glasgow and Aberdeen Airports), NHS Scotland, the University of Strathclyde, and National Air Traffic Services (NATS). The aim is to develop and trial the UK’s first national distribution network using drones to transport essential medicines, blood, organs, and other medical supplies throughout Scotland.
“This is an excellent opportunity for us to kick off operations in the UK by leveraging our authorization experience in the EU with EASA. The flight trials for NHS Scotland would also validate our ongoing product development toward delivering medical goods. We have seen that our solution could be vital for remote communities in Scotland, drastically decreasing the transit time for medical supplies,” said Svilen Rangelov, CEO and Co-founder of Dronamics.
“The CAELUS project is set to revolutionize the way in which healthcare services are delivered in Scotland. A drone network can ensure critical medical supplies can be delivered more efficiently, it can reduce waiting times for test results and, more importantly, it can provide equity of care between urban and remote rural communities,” said Fiona Smith, AGS Airports Group Head of Aerodrome Strategy and CAELUS Project Director.
The project is funded under the Future Flight Challenge, the UKRI-led investment program that has committed GBP125 million into the next wave of aviation tech.
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