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University Collects Medical Samples Via Drones In Madagascar (phys.org)

Posted by BeauHD on from the it's-a-bird-it's-a-plane-it's-superman dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Phys.Org: Stony Brook University is using drones to transport medical samples for laboratory analysis to and from remote parts of Madagascar. Phys.Org reports: "The drones are about the size of a large picnic table and have two sets of wings. They take off and land like helicopters and have a flight range of about 40 miles. Blood and other medical samples can be secured in small compartments in the body of the aircraft. Drones are being used in other parts of the developing world to deliver medications and other supplies to remote areas, but Stony Brook officials say theirs is one of the first efforts involving a small unmanned aircraft that actually lands in remote villages and returns quickly to a laboratory. Diagnosis of ailments, like tapeworm disease, which causes life-threatening seizures and contributes to malnutrition in villages on the island, can now be completed within a few hours, said Dr. Peter Small, founding director of Stony Brook's Global Health Institute. To reach these villages, medical workers have had to travel on foot -- there are no roads -- a trip that takes five to nine hours each way. By drone, they can dispatch the medical samples back to Stony Brook's Centre ValBio research station and get lab results within an hour or two, said Patricia Wright, the station's executive director."

20 comments

  1. Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Finally. A reasonable use for drones.

  2. other uses... by supernova87a · · Score: 1

    Is anyone else worried that this will soon be repurposed into "medical sample delivery" across the US-Mexico border quite soon? Assuming it hasn't already happened yet...

    1. Re:other uses... by NotInHere · · Score: 1

      Agreed. The TRUMP wall may be a neat idea in the eyes of some people, but it won't really stop the drugs.

    2. Re:other uses... by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 1

      Happened long ago.

    3. Re:other uses... by thinkwaitfast · · Score: 1

      Tunnels under the border have also been a thing for a long time. And of course it won't work, but people are dumb and proud of it.

    4. Re:other uses... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No. They just use hot air balloons.

  3. Large enough to help in some other way... by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Being as big as a picnic table, you have to wonder if it could also handle emergency medical evacuation for a single person... that could be a huge deal for places where roads are sketchy or do not exist.

    In a world where you don't require an experienced pilot to fly, a huge number of opportunities open up.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Large enough to help in some other way... by Xolotl · · Score: 1

      Most of that picnic-table sized area are the wings. The fuselage is maybe 10-12 inches across (there is a closeup photo in the article). The spare lifting capacity after batteries is one or two orders of magnitude too low to carry a human. On the other hand it won't do much damage if it hits someone or someone gets too close to the props.

      Once you're at the size needed to safely lift a human the requirements for same landing and take off around trees, buildings, animals and people are much more stringent and would need a human operator, at which point a small helicopter will be cheaper and easier (at this time anyway, maybe one day ...).

    2. Re:Large enough to help in some other way... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kind of depends on the safety laws of the countries involved. But you're not really right about the props not being able to do much harm. RC aircraft of similar size have caused a few injuries.

      Obviously, yes, this is no where near being able to carry a human.

    3. Re:Large enough to help in some other way... by Xolotl · · Score: 1

      Injuries yes, but nothing comparable to that from a full-sized prop or helicopter rotor.

      I wasn't thinking so much of laws as the situational awareness needed to operate a much larger machine in a confined and uncontrolled space around people.

    4. Re:Large enough to help in some other way... by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

      Most of that picnic-table sized area are the wings.

      Doesn't matter if you strap someone underneath.

      The spare lifting capacity after batteries is one or two orders of magnitude too low to carry a human.

      Are you sure it's really that far? The thing is, this EXACT model may not be able to carry a human 40 miles, but how far are we really from that happening? Think ahead.

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    5. Re:Large enough to help in some other way... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You want a FlyBoard Air. Lasts for 10 minutes.

      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3534614/Now-S-hoverboard-Firm-water-jetpacks-reveals-video-new-device-works-land-reaches-10-000ft.html

  4. Delivering samples and documents in a city by Max_W · · Score: 1

    I think it is easier and safer to drive in Madagascar than in some cities as there are just too many vehicles on streets. A good part of them deliver paper documents, samples, cash, etc. It could be well delivered by UAVs freeing roads where accidents, deaths, and injuries actually happen.

    Unfortunately the civil aviation agencies tend to over-regulate this emerging multi-billion industry. They think in terms of heavy manned aircraft, but UAVs just do not cause such devastation as say Flight #1862 in Amsterdam: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    1. Re:Delivering samples and documents in a city by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You have never driven in Madagascar. There are no roads worth the name outside the large cities. It can take days to go a few hundred miles. The local airline is also very unreliable.

  5. Shut. Down. EVERYTHING! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Also, in an unexpected turn of events, the drones could be used to overcome Madagascar's near-perfect border security in Pandemic 2 (Flash Content) and finally wipe out Earths entire population.

  6. A lesson in deregulation by MobyDisk · · Score: 1

    This is really cool! Be warned though: new technologies develop in environments with limited regulation. Don't let governments thwart our ability to test new uses for drones. Remember these legitimate uses for when we are told that, for our safety, only governments and big companies can fly them.

  7. Incomplete story! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How is the drone controlled? Radio? Fully automated with GPS?

  8. My Imagination by nitehawk214 · · Score: 1

    I was envisioning drones with needles and thermometers flying around chasing after people trying to collect samples.

    --
    I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust