UK Drone Supply Community CAELUS Launches
by DRONELIFE Employees Author Ian M. Crosby
CAELUS (Care & Fairness – Healthcare Logistics UAS Scotland), a consortium led by AGS Airports in partnership with NHS Scotland to determine the UK’s premiere drone-based medical distribution community, closed £10.1 million in funding from the Future Flight Problem at UK Analysis and Innovation (UKRI) final month.
Proceed studying under, or pay attention:
Consortium members, stakeholders and politicians assembled at Glasgow Airport for the official launch, which featured a keynote speech from Scottish Authorities Public Well being Minister Maree Todd in addition to various exhibitions from consortium companions.
CAELUS includes 16 companions, which embrace the College of Strathclyde, NATS, NHS Scotland and Skyports, all collaborating with the aim of offering Scotland’s first nationwide drone community able to delivering essential medical provides throughout the nation, together with to distant communities.
Following its acquisition of £1.5 million in January 2020, the consortium has developed drone touchdown stations for NHS websites all through Scotland, in addition to a digital mannequin of the community plan, bridging hospitals, pathology laboratories, distribution facilities and GP surgical procedures nationwide. The mission’s second part will incorporate reside flight trials and deal with hurdles to the protected operation of drones at scale in Scotland.
“We have been delighted after we heard we have been receiving the £10.1m funding from UKRI to maneuver onto the following part of the mission,” mentioned Fiona Smith, AGS Airports Group Head of Aerodrome Technique and CAELUS Venture Director. “The CAELUS mission is about to revolutionise the way in which through which healthcare companies are delivered in Scotland. A drones community can guarantee vital medical provides might be delivered extra effectively, it may possibly cut back ready instances for take a look at outcomes and, extra importantly, it may possibly present fairness of care between city and distant rural communities.
“In addition to having the ability to undertake reside flights we are able to start to deploy the bodily infrastructure wanted to assist the drones throughout Scotland. It will contain constructing prototype touchdown bases in addition to digital and communication infrastructure. We can even work with native communities to make sure they perceive why and the way the drones will probably be used.”
Consortium member and drone companies supplier Skyports will conduct the mission’s reside flight trials, because it did with NHS Scotland in 2020 and 2021, flying over 14,000km within the area to this point.
“We’re extremely excited to be the lead board for this high-end progressive mission,” mentioned Hazel Dempsey, NHS Grampian’s Program Lead for Innovation.“Our intention, from an NHS perspective, is to check using drone know-how in city, distant, rural and island landscapes. We wish to take a look at if utilizing drones will enhance essential facets of our logistics service, for instance, to check the transportation of laboratory samples, blood merchandise, chemotherapy, and drugs supply. Finally, we wish to discover if drone know-how can velocity up analysis and therapy of medical issues.
“This has the potential to enhance companies for these whose care relies on rail, ferry or airline timetables and assist maintain individuals at residence the place they are often supported by households and family members,” Dempsey continued. “This mission intends to place the UK and NHS Scotland as a frontrunner within the third revolution within the aviation business.”
“This nationwide, thrilling ‘subsequent stage’ programme of labor builds on the success of CAELUS 1 launch which targeted on the West of Scotland,” added David Lowe, Nationwide Medical Director for Innovation.
“Over the past 4 years, we’ve launched tasks all through Scotland which display the advantages that drone interventions can present to people and communities – even within the hardest to succeed in areas,” mentioned Alex Brown, Director of Skyports Drone Companies. “All through the COVID-19 pandemic, we flew hundreds of kilometers to ship vital pathology samples for the NHS, serving to numerous sufferers obtain their diagnoses and coverings quicker. The CAELUS mission is the following step in these vital trials to display the feasibility of drone companies and pave the way in which for the launch of everlasting drone supply operations for the NHS.”
Learn extra about CAELUS and medical drone supply:
Ian attended Dominican College of California, the place he obtained a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong ardour for writing and storytelling and a eager curiosity in know-how, he’s now contributing to DroneLife as a employees author.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, knowledgeable drone companies market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone business and the regulatory surroundings for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles targeted on the industrial drone area and is a global speaker and acknowledged determine within the business. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising for brand new applied sciences.
For drone business consulting or writing, E mail Miriam.
TWITTER:@spaldingbarker
Subscribe to DroneLife right here.
