DavidIAm
Junior Member
Vanuatu, medical delivery drones, and FliteTest
MoH, in assessment with UNICEF, is exploring the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, as a quick, reliable, and effective mode of transportation to deliver vaccines from main health facilities to dispensaries, aid post, and mobile vaccination teams. It also includes maintaining the cargo temperature between 2 and 8 Celsius degrees -to ensure the cold chain is not interrupted and the vaccines are delivered in optimal condition.
Text from: http://amazing-drones.com/2018/05/27/drone-based-vaccine-deliveries-in-vanuatu/
Consider the sort of companies that are likely to make bids here - the systems are going to be complicated, expensive as hell, and likely benefit the company more than the people of Vanuatu.
The challenge: build an autnomous craft capable of transporting 10 2.5ml vials of temperature sensitive material kept between 2 and 8 degrees celcius over a distance of 50 miles, landing unassisted without significant danger of breaking said vials.
(the vials are... well, tehy're pretty sturdy. They'd be difficult to actually break, even if thrown, against much of anything but hard rocks in direct contact with the glass)
Obviously will need to create an insulated phase-change stabilized (a solution that freezes at 3C or so) that fits around a rack of vaccines with an appropriately sized and powered drone to carry it. The software and hardware required to auto-pilot the assemblage somewhere useful is obtainable.
I think the FT Spear is almost entirely what is needed here.
The ability of FliteTest and community to put together cheap commodity hardware into a useful, aero-capable piece of gear is entirely unmatched by industry in intent or operation. Y'all could kick their butts.
This is not only a chance to show that we can engineer this kind of thing - but to benefit the people of the world with practical real world delivery applications using commodity hardware. I want to be able to tell the people of Vanuatu, you want to do that? We don't want to sell you diddlysquat - but we'll be happy to show you how to do that, so you yourself, YOUR people can sustain and refine and make a universe of drone delivery across your island nation.
I think this is a worthy endeavor. What say you?
MoH, in assessment with UNICEF, is exploring the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, as a quick, reliable, and effective mode of transportation to deliver vaccines from main health facilities to dispensaries, aid post, and mobile vaccination teams. It also includes maintaining the cargo temperature between 2 and 8 Celsius degrees -to ensure the cold chain is not interrupted and the vaccines are delivered in optimal condition.
Text from: http://amazing-drones.com/2018/05/27/drone-based-vaccine-deliveries-in-vanuatu/
Consider the sort of companies that are likely to make bids here - the systems are going to be complicated, expensive as hell, and likely benefit the company more than the people of Vanuatu.
The challenge: build an autnomous craft capable of transporting 10 2.5ml vials of temperature sensitive material kept between 2 and 8 degrees celcius over a distance of 50 miles, landing unassisted without significant danger of breaking said vials.
(the vials are... well, tehy're pretty sturdy. They'd be difficult to actually break, even if thrown, against much of anything but hard rocks in direct contact with the glass)
Obviously will need to create an insulated phase-change stabilized (a solution that freezes at 3C or so) that fits around a rack of vaccines with an appropriately sized and powered drone to carry it. The software and hardware required to auto-pilot the assemblage somewhere useful is obtainable.
I think the FT Spear is almost entirely what is needed here.
The ability of FliteTest and community to put together cheap commodity hardware into a useful, aero-capable piece of gear is entirely unmatched by industry in intent or operation. Y'all could kick their butts.
This is not only a chance to show that we can engineer this kind of thing - but to benefit the people of the world with practical real world delivery applications using commodity hardware. I want to be able to tell the people of Vanuatu, you want to do that? We don't want to sell you diddlysquat - but we'll be happy to show you how to do that, so you yourself, YOUR people can sustain and refine and make a universe of drone delivery across your island nation.
I think this is a worthy endeavor. What say you?