Communications of the ACM
Drone Startup Plans Drug Deliveries to Homes in Salt Lake City
Zipline said it expects to make its first deliveries in the spring, and to reach hundreds per day within four years of launching the service.
Credit: Zipline
California drone startup Zipline has signed a service agreement with Utah's Intermountain Healthcare to deliver medicine and other supplies to its Salt Lake City patients.
The first deliveries are expected to begin in the Spring.
Zipline's Conor French said the company's fixed-wing drones will be able to reach 90% of homes in the metro area.
The autonomous drones navigate by satellite and use parachutes to drop payloads of up to four pounds.
The deliveries are expected to land in patients' yards and driveways.
Zipline has applied for certification under the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Part 135 program for unmanned package delivery.
The FAA granted the company limited permission last year for a pilot program delivering personal protective equipment to two health facilities in North Carolina.
From Bloomberg Green
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