Drones that deliver drugs arrive in the sky of the Venetian islands of Sant'Erasmo and Vignole.
Just announced the start of an experimental program that will see in flight a small squadron of drones equipped with machines used to distribute drugs to the chronically ill in two Venetian islands.
The city of Venice has signed an agreement with theENAC, the National Civil Aviation Authority, as part of a larger project that aims to develop the use of intelligent urban delivery systems with unmanned aerial vehicles in the Veneto capital.
In this first phase, the project will cover a limited area of the Venice lagoon, using the Venice Civil Hospital as a hub. After the first two Venetian islands, that of Sant'Erasmo and that of Vignole, the plan is to extend the service to other Venetian islands in the lagoon and, eventually, to the entire municipality. It is not only an economic issue (an estimated 40% saving on the delivery of drugs in areas far from the center of Venice and not served by pharmacies) but it is also the possibility of offering many chronic patients better access to treatment.
Welcome, Radon
Radon is the name of the innovative drone created by the Dronus company. He will be the protagonist of this first test phase on the Venetian islands. Dronus is an electrically propelled, remotely piloted fixed-wing drone that flies beyond line of sight. Thanks to its unique characteristics, it has obtained the certificate of SAPR project, which allows the overflight of urban areas in Italy. Currently it is the only drone on the market in its category to possess this certification.
"Drone technology is being used in many ways to help people and protect the environment. With the Venice project, we aim to provide drones to Venice residents," he says. Marco Ballerini, CEO and founder of Dronus. "This will make their life easier by improving the efficiency of the services they receive. Drone technology will also reduce environmental impact by using energy more efficiently and limiting the need to transport goods."
