Wing spanning into Ireland

American drone logistics company Wing – a sister organisation to Google under the Alphabet wing – is delving into healthcare logistics; and into Ireland.

The company that cut its drone delivery teeth bringing food and retails retail packages into people’s homes in Australia will be partnering with Apian, a United Kingdom-based company connecting healthcare providers with drone operators and services, to embark on medical drone delivery services in Ireland and jointly explore opportunities in the UK.

Wing expects that operations to deliver medical supplies to hospitals will begin in the Irish capital Dublin later this year.

“Over the coming months, Wing and Apian will work with healthcare and pharmacy partners to create a rapid medical delivery network in South Dublin,” the drone company said in a statement.

“This efficient network, leveraging Wing’s aircraft and automation, will serve to improve the patient experience while reducing traffic congestion and emissions in the community. We look forward to engaging with the local community and stakeholders as we develop the operations and begin flights.

“Together, Wing and Apian believe that healthcare should benefit from on-demand delivery much like consumers do in their personal lives. Medical drone delivery can provide a faster, more reliable, lower-cost solution than ground-based alternatives.

“We aim to address speed, inefficiencies, and also environmental challenges by reducing vehicles on the road. Wing’s operations require very little infrastructure and can be set up in a range of spaces, making them suitable for a wide variety of healthcare facilities.”

Standing at a length of 1.3 metres, the Wing aircraft has a wingspan of one metre, can make round trips of 20km while carrying package up to 1,2kg in weight and can travel as fast as 104km.hour.

Wing figures their automated delivery drones are well-suited for a range of useful healthcare applications; adding that the company’s technology is designed to deliver pharmacy items, laboratory samples, and medical devices and supplies very quickly in urban and suburban environments. 

“Regulatory progress in the European Union and the UK continues to open doors toward safe and beneficial drone services at scale,” the company says.

“This operation will be Wing’s second in Ireland, following the public demonstration services in Lusk, where thoughtful input and the collaborative approach from the community have provided invaluable feedback on the future of drone delivery.”

Wing’s partner Apian is a drone-based healthcare logistics company founded by a team of doctors from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). Its platform integrates both healthcare and aviation systems, creating a fully automated, on-demand delivery system that seeks to improve patient health outcomes and staff well-being.

0 Comments

Leave a Comment

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account

Remember me Lost your password?

Lost Password