German drone maker Wingcopter and its Japanese partner ITOCHU Corporation are expanding their collaboration into Okinawa, following the success of a pilot project to transport blood samples using drones.
With the help of other partners on the project – ANA Holdings and the local blood center of the Japanese Red Cross – the drones delivered the research blood between the cities of Urasoe and Nago in Okinawa Prefecture.
The project was aimed at testing the effectiveness and efficiency of drones in the delivery of blood products, with the long-term goal of relieving the burden on delivery staff and being prepared for disasters, especially in regions where traditional forms of transport are inefficient.
The prefecture of Okinawa, with its 48 inhabited islands, is a prime example of such a region.
“We are pleased to have worked on this project with ITOCHU, ANA and other partners, and to once again have been able to demonstrate the versatility of the Wingcopter 198,” said Armando Koerig Gessinger, Chief Revenue Officer at Wingcopter.
“It is important to test as many real-world applications as possible under a wide range of conditions before type certification is granted, so that we can then scale up across Japan together with our partners.”
Conventional transport methods in the area usually takes a lot of personnel and time; and the partners hope the introduction of drone deliveries will make it possible to transport only the required amount at the exact moment it is needed.
This will in turn enable a fast and efficient supply of blood products, even in emergencies and in response to natural disasters.
“Okinawa Prefecture is located in the southernmost part of Japan and is known for its high temperatures in the summer,” Hiroshi Fujita, MD, PhD, Director of Department of Transfusion Medicine at Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital explained.
“Prior to the Proof of Concept, we conducted multiple basic studies confirming the temperature management capability of the drone’s blood delivery box, which was manufactured and retrofitted by Sugiyama-Gen in Tokyo.
"In addition, we were able to transport blood in a manner that complies with Japan’s Guidelines for Transporting Medicines by Drones.”
The types of blood transported were red blood cell fluid and whole blood, which are are likely to be used in disasters and emergencies and require strict temperature controls.
A special transport container was used to keep the blood at a constant temperature of between two and six degrees Celsius during the flight. In addition, experts have also investigated the possible effects of transport by drone on the quality of the blood supplied.
The guidelines also require measures to deal with vibrations that occur during transportation; and the partners were able to confirm that the group of blood transported by vehicle and drone was of comparable quality to the blood of the non-flying group (control group).
“The results of this verification therefore show that drones may be useful as a means of transporting blood appropriately to where it is needed. We hope to see Level 4 testing of blood transport by drones in the future,” Fujita said.
Depending on weather conditions, the 53 km long test route between Urasoe and Nago was covered by the Wingcopter in as little as 32 minutes.
ITOCHU plans to integrate multiple simultaneously operating delivery drones into the conventional ground-based supply network in the future, thus helping to maintain a sustainable medical system, even in the event of labor shortages and emergencies in times of crisis.
“The feasibility study in Okinawa Prefecture brings us another step closer to our goal of offering drone-based services that address the diverse needs and social problems of the Japanese society,” said Masaharu Sato, Deputy General Manager, Aerospace Department at ITOCHU Corporation.
“That is why we have already conducted proofs of concept with different focuses in Hokkaido and Niigata, among other places, and intend to conduct further ones in the coming months.”
In addition, the company aims to introduce a commercial drone delivery service, in which the Wingcopter 198 will be used, among other things, to deliver high-priority medical and pharmaceutical products.
Wingcopter and Itochu found each other around two years ago and this year, the Japanese company helped its drone partner become the first foreign company to be awarded type certification in Japan for the Wingcopter 198, by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
The certification allows for commercial flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and over inhabited areas.
Kenji Suzuki, Vice President at ANA Holdings Inc, whose company was also part of the pilot project, was happy to have added their aviation expertise to the project’s success.
“Based on ANA's technology and experience accumulated through more than 70 years of aircraft operation, ANA performed safe high-speed flights over long distances with the Wingcopter,” Suzuki said.
“In collaboration with ITOCHU and Wingcopter, ANA will take on the challenge of solving the issues facing the transportation of blood products.”