Drone technology is being used and developed for advancing community health in several ways: 1) Drones can create high-resolution 3D maps of communities to aid in planning health services and identifying infrastructure needs. 2) Drones are being used for surveillance and damage assessment after natural disasters through aerial imaging. 3) Several companies are developing drone technologies to deliver medical supplies and drugs to remote areas to improve access to care. This includes Flirtey, Matternet, DHL, and Zipline who have conducted experimental programs delivering supplies by drones. 4) Key challenges to wider implementation include regulation of drone airspace, limited payload capacities, and negative public perceptions associated with military drone use.

1. ©2013 International Medical Corps
DroneTechnologyfor
AdvancingCommunityHealth
Dr. Paul Robinson
Senior Health Advisor, International Medical Corps
CORE Group GHP Conference – October 14, 2016
From Relief to Self-Reliance
All content in this document is the property of International Medical Corps and should not be reproduced without prior written consent. This material is protected
by copyright. ©2013 International Medical Corps. Materials may not be reproduced without International Medical Corps’ prior written consent.

2. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Overview
• Introduction
• How are UAVs used or can be used to improve
community health?
• Which are the leading companies and what
type of UAV technologies are they developing?
• Questions and Comments

3. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Use of UAVs in
Community Health Programming
• Community mapping
• Surveillance
• Imaging after natural
disasters
• Delivering medical
supplies

4. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Community Mapping
A 3-D map of a Nepali neighborhood produced by a
DJI drone and PIX4D software.
(Image Courtesy: sUAS News 2015)
https://youtu.be/QXkcvzxBsrY?t=190

5. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Imaging and Surveillance
Following the 2014 Earthquake in Yunnan, China, and the
2016 earthquake in central Italy drones were used to
record and survey
the damage
Pescara del Toronto, Italy. (Courtesy: Reuters, 2016)Ludian, Yunnan, China. (Courtesy: sUAS News, 2014)
UAV Imaging

6. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Delivering
Drugs and Medical Supplies
DHL
Flirtey Matternet
Zipline

7. Flirtey
• An Australian
company that has
been building drones
since 2013
• Recommended for
Humanitarian,
Medical, and Courier
Deliveries
• Can carry 5.5 lb. up
to 10 miles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPkN9y_mjPo
Image Courtesy: Flirtey, 2016

8. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Matternet
• Has partnered with
Médecins Sans Frontières
to deliver sputum samples
for TB testing in Papua
New Guinea
• Recommended for
Humanitarian and
Medical uses
• Can carry 2 kg up to 20
km Image Courtesy: Matternet, 2016

9. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Matternet (cont.)
Matternet UAVs
land in pre-
established
waystations to
swap batteries
Matternet’s M2 UAVs
are quadcopters that
descend to deliver their
payload
Images Courtesy: Matternet, 2016

10. ©2013 International Medical Corps
DHL
• DHL’s UAVs have
successfully delivered
medical supplies between
villages in the Swiss Alps
• Recommended for Medical
and Courier Deliveries
• Can carry 2 kg over 8 km
Image Courtesy: DHL, 2016

11. ©2013 International Medical Corps
DHL (cont.)
A Parcelcopter landing at a
ParcelportDHL’s Parcelcopter hovering
Images Courtesy: DHL, 2016

12. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Zipline
• Zipline UAVs have
delivered blood
products to 20
hospitals in Rwanda
• Recommended for
Humanitarian and
Medical deliveries
• Can transport 1.5 kg
over 150 km
Image Courtesy: Zipline, 2016

13. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Zipline (cont.)
Zipline UAVs are catapulted into flight
Zipline UAVs drop their payloads
via parachute
Images Courtesy: Zipline, 2016
http://flyzipline.com/product/

14. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Drones in Development Stage
Images Courtesy: Google, Amazon, UPS, 2016
Google’s Project WIng Amazon Prime Air
CyPhy Works partnering with UPS

15. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Potential Challenges
• Government regulation and legal
restrictions of airspace and UAV use
• Limited payloads and flight ranges
• Some UAVs require pre-established
landing zones or ports
• Difficulty of maintenance and upkeep
• Negative public perceptions of Drones,
being associated with military use

16. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Acknowledgment
Diego Bleifuss Prados
Masters in Int. Development Candidate
Univ. of Denver, Colorado
&
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone
Matthew Sweeney
CEO | Co-Founder
Flirtey

17. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Resources
• Amazon Prime Air. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1st, 2016 from
https://www.amazon.com/b?node=8037720011
• Cyphy Works. (2016). Retrieved October 7th, 2016 from http://cyphyworks.com/
• DHL ParcelCopter 3.0 (7/27/2016). Retrieved October 1st, from
http://www.dpdhl.com/en/media_relations/specials/parcelcopter.html
• Flirtey. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1st, 2016, from http://flirtey.com/
• Gilman, D. (2014). Unmanned Vehicles in Humanitarian Response. Retrieved from
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs website:
https://docs.unocha.org/sites/dms/Documents/Unmanned%20Aerial%20Vehicle
s%20in%20Humanitarian%20Response%20OCHA%20July%202014.pdf
• Leetaru, K. (2015, November 19). How Drones are Changing Humanitarian
Disaster Response. Forbes. Retrieved October 3rd, 2016. from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2015/11/09/how-drones-are-
changing-humanitarian-disaster-response/#41bea1756cee
• Matternet. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1st, 2016, from https://mttr.net/
• Project Wing. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2nd, 2016, from
https://www.solveforx.com/wing/
• Zipline (n.d.) Retrieved October 2nd, 2016, from http://flyzipline.com/product/

18. ©2013 International Medical Corps
Thank You!
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