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World's first national drone delivery service launched in Rwanda
A HUMANITARIAN healthcare shipper, a robotics company, the Rwandan government and United Parcel Service (UPS) have launched the world's first drone delivery service.
Following the launch on October 13 by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, the Rwandan government has begun using drones to make up to 150 on-demand, emergency deliveries per day of life-saving blood to 21 transfusion facilities located in the western half of the country, reported the Lloyd's Loading List.
The drones and delivery service are built and operated by Zipline, a California-based robotics company. While Rwanda's drone delivery service will initially focus on blood, an international partnership between UPS, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), and Zipline will help the country quickly expand the types of medicines and lifesaving vaccines that can be delivered.
Rwanda's national drone delivery programme enables blood transfusion clinics across the Western half of the country to place emergency orders by cell phone text message. The orders are then received by Zipline at its distribution centre in the country's Muhanga region, where the company maintains a fleet of 15 drones, called Zips.
Each Zip can fly a round trip of up to 150 kilometres - even in wind and rain - and carry 1.5 kilogramme of blood, which is enough to save a person's life, the project partners said.
Zips take off and land at the Nest and make deliveries by descending close to the ground and 'air dropping' medicine via a mini-parachute system to a designated spot called a ''mailbox' near the health centres they serve.
Zipline will make 50 to 150 emergency flights a day to 21 transfusion clinics across the western half of Rwanda and can fulfil orders in around 30 minutes. Rwanda plans to expand Zipline's drone delivery service to the eastern half of the country in early 2017, putting almost every one of the country's 11 million citizens within reach of instant delivery of lifesaving medicines.
During Rwanda's lengthy rainy season, many roads wash out, becoming impassable or non-existent. "The result is that all too often someone in need of a lifesaving transfusion cannot access the blood they need to survive," the project participants say.
"The inability to deliver lifesaving medicines to the people who need them the most causes millions of preventable deaths each year around the world. Zipline will help solve that problem once and for all," said Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo. "We've built an instant delivery system for the world, allowing medicine to be delivered on-demand and at low-cost, anywhere."
Rwandan President Kagame commented: "Drones are very useful, both commercially and for improving services in the health sector. We are happy to be launching this innovative technology and to continue working with partners to develop it further."
Following the launch on October 13 by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, the Rwandan government has begun using drones to make up to 150 on-demand, emergency deliveries per day of life-saving blood to 21 transfusion facilities located in the western half of the country, reported the Lloyd's Loading List.
The drones and delivery service are built and operated by Zipline, a California-based robotics company. While Rwanda's drone delivery service will initially focus on blood, an international partnership between UPS, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), and Zipline will help the country quickly expand the types of medicines and lifesaving vaccines that can be delivered.
Rwanda's national drone delivery programme enables blood transfusion clinics across the Western half of the country to place emergency orders by cell phone text message. The orders are then received by Zipline at its distribution centre in the country's Muhanga region, where the company maintains a fleet of 15 drones, called Zips.
Each Zip can fly a round trip of up to 150 kilometres - even in wind and rain - and carry 1.5 kilogramme of blood, which is enough to save a person's life, the project partners said.
Zips take off and land at the Nest and make deliveries by descending close to the ground and 'air dropping' medicine via a mini-parachute system to a designated spot called a ''mailbox' near the health centres they serve.
Zipline will make 50 to 150 emergency flights a day to 21 transfusion clinics across the western half of Rwanda and can fulfil orders in around 30 minutes. Rwanda plans to expand Zipline's drone delivery service to the eastern half of the country in early 2017, putting almost every one of the country's 11 million citizens within reach of instant delivery of lifesaving medicines.
During Rwanda's lengthy rainy season, many roads wash out, becoming impassable or non-existent. "The result is that all too often someone in need of a lifesaving transfusion cannot access the blood they need to survive," the project participants say.
"The inability to deliver lifesaving medicines to the people who need them the most causes millions of preventable deaths each year around the world. Zipline will help solve that problem once and for all," said Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo. "We've built an instant delivery system for the world, allowing medicine to be delivered on-demand and at low-cost, anywhere."
Rwandan President Kagame commented: "Drones are very useful, both commercially and for improving services in the health sector. We are happy to be launching this innovative technology and to continue working with partners to develop it further."
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