Robo Spyplanes to Save Lives Instead of Snooping

In an advance so ironic it could be an Alanis Morisette lyric, army spy planes are being reconfigured to act as medical couriers. By transporting blood samples, transfusion packs or medicines these automatic aircraft could save lives where no other transport options can reach.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), with their combination of small size low support requirements, have long been useful in surveillance. Now the South African National Health Laboratory Service has repurposed two former-snoopers with a snazzy new red cross paint job and a miniature cargo capacity. In large regions of South Africa transport routes can be very slow - if passable at all - and a days delay in lab results can be the difference between life and death.

The larger of the craft can carry half a kilogram - not much for cargo transport, but when it's carrying a rare blood type it could become the most valuable five hundred grams in the air. The smaller craft can only carry twenty small spit samples for DNA-based testing, but when dealing with potentially contagious diseases fast identification is essential (and don't worry, the sterilized samples can't spread the disease - it turns out doctors tend to think of these things).

The smaller craft makes up for its lack of lifting power by ease of use as it can be launched by hand. Let us repeat that - this roboplane can deliver samples to otherwise unreachable destinations, navigate by satellite, and is launched by hand, thereby kicking the hell out of even the most elaborate paper plane.

It's a pity that such a natural idea - a high speed delivery system between medical centers in remote areas - could only be developed by salvaging things the military has thrown away. But at least there are those able to look at the fantastic research and development going on in the armed forces and say "Hey, I bet you could use that stuff to NOT kill people."

Posted by Luke McKinney.

Robo-Flying Docto r