In our profession, we think of every piece in our gear closet as designed to take pictures. If you were assigned to walk into your gear closet and redesign one piece for the purpose of saving human lives, what would you create? North American company Dranganfly has taken drones and has created gear that is used in new ways for smarter and safer warfare.
Draganfly has been developing advanced drone solutions for over 20 years, and their Medical Response Drone is now saving lives in Ukraine. In 2013, Draganfly was credited as the world’s first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAS) to save a person’s life. Their focus on modern day tech for modern day warfare has been saving lives ever since.
The Dranganfly Medical Response (non-combatant) drone
The North American drone company recently delivered medical response drones to a Ukraine charity to transport lifesaving medicines and supplies to Ukraine civilians most in need. The drones have been a lifeline to those trapped in hard-to-reach areas that have been decimated by Russian forces.
The humanitarian relief agency Revived Soldiers Ukraine (RSU) has taken delivery of seven Draganfly Medical Response Drones, equipped with temperature-managed payload boxes that can carry 35 pounds of supplies. Another 200 drones will be delivered to RSU in the coming months. In addition to medical relief drones, the company is supplying search and rescue and situational awareness drones that can alert rescue teams of oncoming danger, such as advancing troop movement.
Responding about what happens if a drone gets shot down, Draganfly CEO, Cameron Chell, had this to say: "I'm often asked: "what if a drone gets shot down or destroyed? My answer is simple; we'll send in more. That's the beauty of this technology and how it scales. The return on investment in saving lives is unmatchable."
When equipped with Draganfly’s temperature-managed Medical Response Payload Box, the UAV can effectively transport a variety of temperature-sensitive medical supplies including blood, insulin, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, water, and wound care kits. The Medical Response Drones will also help Revived Soldiers Ukraine (RSU) address the urgent need for insulin. According to the International Diabetes Foundation, there are over 2.3 million people living with diabetes in Ukraine. Many are Type 1 diabetics that need daily doses of insulin to survive.
CEO Cameron Chell, shared: "We are grateful for the opportunity to work with Revived Soldiers Ukraine to provide crucial medical supplies and equipment safely and quickly to those most in need in Ukraine." We share in Chell's gratitude for this innovative partnership and its ability to save human lives.
Images used with permission of Draganfly.
