Swiss drone startup Jedsy has started testing a new method to deliver medical samples faster, through drone delivery.
Using Jedsy’s gliders, the company was able to transport samples to 14 interconnected labs and eight collection locations in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The drones are different from other delivery methods as they lock into a docking station fashioned outside of windows on multiple story buildings, allowing the samples to be delivered as fast as possible to the lab itself.
“The Covid pandemic showed us how imperative courier service is; however, at times vehicles get stuck in traffic or encounter other hindrances thereby negatively impacting delivery,” said Martin Risch, CEO of Dr. Risch group, a provider of laboratory medicine in Switzerland. “Now, with the coming in of Jedsy, deliveries will be faster allowing us to offer outstanding service, which will ultimately benefit patients.”
How it works
The Jedsy drones can be docked outside of windows but also could be docked on balconies or other areas of multiple storied buildings. The loading and unloading of the drones only takes a few seconds and they can operate in any weather.
The docking station also charges the drone’s battery so it will be ready and in the air in under a minute. The glider type drone is also quieter than traditional quad-copter type drones, Jedsy said.
The drones are operated remotely, and a user can monitor the flight via livestream but as soon as it approaches the building, the docking station comes into focus, allowing for an easy docking process.
“With the new drone, we have already gained important flying experience in Malawi, where over 5,000 flights have been performed as part of the UNICEF drone corridor,” said Herbert Weirather, CEO of Jedsy. “Health centers have already been supplied with critical medicines by Jedsy and the service is being expanded continuously”.
