A drone has managed to transport blood bags for the first time on European airspace.
The pilot test was carried out in Saint-Trond in Belgium on Tuesday afternoon. Equipped with 16 electric propulsion engines and cruising at a speed of 130 km, the drone travelled a distance of one kilometre.
“So far, no drone of this type has been able to fly so close to an urban area,” Mikael Shamim, CEO of Helicus which organised the pilot test said, explaining that the trial was “very important in preparing for the next step, which will consist of daily use of drones to transport medical material.”
There is still much work to be done at the European Parliament on a legislative level, before this next step can be reached.
According to the first alderwoman of Saint-Trond and European Parliament member Hilde Vautmans, the EU is working on it. “But as you can see, technology and innovation evolve faster than regulations.”
Belgium’s Minister of Mobility George Gilkinet also sees immense benefits in the use of these devices. “Drones can carry out complex missions with unprecedented efficiency, while being cheap and environmentally friendly. Some missions performed by helicopters or light aircraft can now be carried out by drones, which greatly reduces their carbon footprint,” Gilkinet said.
