Matternet hits the sky with delivery drones in Berlin, Germany

Matternet has launched its drone delivery program in Berlin, Germany, to deliver medical samples between hospitals, with permanent flights expected to occur in the new year. Matternet will be working with German company Labor Berlin to speed up its sample delivery network.

Matternet’s latest drone delivery program kicked off November 17th and will support Labor Berlin’s current sample transport network. Every day the company transports over 15,000 samples around Berlin across 13 hospitals in the city.

For now, the drones will be flying between three locations, Labor Berlin’s central lab on Charité Campus Virchow-Klinikum, the Charité Hospital Campus Benjamin Franklin, and the Corona Clinic by Vivantes – Corona-Behandlungszentrum Jafféstraße.

Andreas Raptopoulos, CEO of Matternet said:

“We continue to expand drone delivery operations around the world with a focus on urban environments. Hospitals and laboratories in densely populated cities like Berlin need fast and predictable transportation methods that avoid urban congestion. We are thrilled to partner with Labor Berlin and look forward to streamlining their diagnostics work to benefit Berlin’s hospitals and residents.”

During the first few months of the program, Matternet will work with Labor Berlin to find the best way to integrate the delivery drones into the current workflow to make it as efficient and cohesive as possible. The two companies plan to invite government and public sector officials and other airspace members to watch the drone flights and possibly spark more uses for drones in the future.

To make sure the beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) deliveries will stay legal and safe, Matternet will be working with the Air Navigation Service Provider in Germany and UTM providers to safely integrate drones into the German airspace.

Nina Beikert, Managing Director of Labor Berlin added:

“Labor Berlin strives for best-in-class medical diagnostics, and patient care is our absolute priority. Reducing diagnostic lead times can greatly improve patient outcomes and experiences. Matternet’s drone delivery network will not only be able to transport patient samples from hospitals to Labor Berlin facilities up to 70% quicker, but also reduce vehicular traffic and emissions in Berlin’s urban core.”

Matternet’s solution

Matternet offers a three-part solution, giving its customers everything they need to get drone deliveries up and flying. The first part is the M2 Drone, a custom-made drone that allows payloads of up 2 kilograms to be delivered up to 20 kilometers away. Second is the Station, an easy-to-use drone hub that allows authorized personnel to place the package into the drone through an automated system. The station also charges the battery allowing it to fly 24/7/365.

The final part is the cloud platform bringing everything together in an accessible dashboard. The platform allows the drone to operated remotely via the Matternet network. The platform automatically receives the customer’s request, builds a flight plan from it, sends the drone up, and then monitors it throughout the flight to make sure everything is going to plan.

Photo: Matternet