Udaan and Throttle Aerospace Systems have completed a trial run for drone medical delivery. Udaan, a B2B e-commerce startup, and Throttle Aerospace Systems (TAS) announced on Friday that they had completed a trial run in Bengaluru for drone delivery of medications. The pilot was led by (TAS) and Udaan and was overseen by the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).Udaan conducted the trial within a 15-kilometer radius of Gauribidanur, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, for last-mile delivery of pharmaceuticals, according to the statement.
During the trial, two drone models – Medcopter X4 and Medcopter X8 – were successfully tested with simulated deliveries to Udaan customers. Pharma is an example of a use case. Deliveries of up to 2kg payload were tested over a range of distances in the defined area, ranging from 2 to 7 kilometers. In the pilot delivery, a distance of 3.5 km was covered in an average of 5-7 minutes. Two distinct forms of delivery were also tested: tethered lowering of the shipment and landing of the copter with the shipment.
The success of the pilot program opens the door to employing beyond-line-of-sight drones for last-mile delivery of packages in the shortest possible time to locations with poor road connectivity, as well as faster deliveries in busy urban areas, according to the company.
Once commercialized, the technology can be utilized to send lifesaving treatments and medicines to the most remote parts of the country in the event of natural disasters, pandemics, and other tragedies, all without requiring any infrastructure or logistical challenges. He noted that it is in line with Udaan’s objective of developing tech-enabled solutions to empower small businesses like kiranas, store owners, chemists, and MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) in rural parts of the country. TAS, situated in Bengaluru, is India’s first DGCA-approved drone manufacturer for civil drones, as well as possessing a military drone manufacturing license from the Ministry of Defence.
Read/Add Comments