Draganfly’s ‘Pandemic Drone’ to begin first test flights in US

Draganfly’s “Pandemic Drone” will complete its first few test flights in the coming days with Westport Police Department in Connecticut. This is a key part of the Flatten the Curve Pilot Program created by Draganfly, healthcare data service Vital Intelligence, and the University of South Australia (UniSA).

The Pandemic Drone is equipped with sensors and a computer vision system capable of reading body temperature accurately. The drone can also measure heart and respiratory rates and detect if people are sneezing or coughing, even in crowds.

Westport Police Department is planning to use the drone to protect at-risk groups, such as seniors, along with monitoring public areas such as beaches, train stations, public parks, recreation areas, and shopping centers.

Maintaining safe distance

The use of the drone will ensure the police officer’s safety is enhanced, allowing officers to stay further away from people who are potentially carrying the coronavirus. The officers are also able to gather data much faster than by manually recording it on a per-person basis. In comparison to a team of officers scouting an area and manually checking each person, using the pandemic drone requires only having one police officer as a drone pilot.

Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly, shared the following in regards to the Westport Police Department tests:

This coronavirus pandemic has opened up a new frontier for advanced drones. In conjunction with our partners, including the town of Westport, together we are the first in the U.S. to implement this state-of-the-art technology to analyze data in a way that has been peer-reviewed and clinically researched to save lives.

What do you think about Draganfly’s Pandemic Drone? Could it be a helpful way to get a handle on the virus? Or are you concerned about all the health data it collects on individuals? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo: Draganfly