Swiss Post has launched a drone delivery project as part of which drones will transport laboratory samples from University Hospital Zurich (USZ) to the Irchel campus at the University of Zurich (UZH).
The project is due to run for one year, during which USZ, UZH, Swiss Post and the drone logistics systems provider Matternet will gather experience in long-term autonomous drone operation.
The first test flights will take place on 6 December, with the project starting officially from 10 December. Carrying laboratory samples, the drone will fly autonomously from one location to the other. The 2.5 km route will start from a roof terrace on the north wing of USZ, arrive at UZH Irchel and – where possible – fly over a forested area. Around five to ten flights will take place on weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. The drone will not fly between 22 December 2018 and 6 January 2019.
The laboratory samples can reach their destination twice as quickly by air than by road in Zurich thus saving precious times for patients, doctors and other healthcare professionals. The drone is more environmentally friendly and unaffected by the traffic situation. Particularly in the medical sector, consignments are often urgent and the speed at which they are delivered can be crucial.
“We are integrating drones into our logistics chain because we can transport laboratory samples quicker and with greater flexibility. This does not just shorten waiting times for our patients but also for the doctors and other healthcare professionals in the hospital,” Renate Gröger, Director of Operations at University Hospital Zurich, said. USZ, UZH, Swiss Post and Matternet will continually evaluate the progress of the project and will decide whether any adjustments are needed.
With safety being the utmost priority for all involved during drone delivery, the drone therefore features modern redundant safety systems, including a collision warning system. It has an on-board camera. Each drone project will be carried out in close collaboration with the FOCA (Federal Office of Civil Aviation), Skyguide, an air navigation service provider which manages and monitors Swiss airspace, and municipal authorities to ensure strict compliance with the regulatory framework conditions.
In the future, drones will complement traditional parcel delivery and mail carriers where required, but they will not replace them, Swiss Post stressed. Special transport operations, such as blood samples, are in the focus of its drone logistics.
The postal operator is now also permitted to carry out drone flights in bad weather.
