Drone Delivery Canada completes Michigan medical delivery trial

Toronto-based aerial services company Drone Delivery Canada announced that it completed a medical transport trial in Michigan, where its UAVs were tested for use as reinforcements to habitual ground options rather than as immediate replacements.

Drone Delivery Canada said it had wound up the medical UAV test operation in the town of Holland, MI, with partners Workhorse Aero, Airspace Link, Caduceus Medical Logistics, and others. The project successfully completed a total of 23 flights over a two-day period, all adhering to 14 CFR Part 107 regulations and in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration guidelines for such operations.

The trial consisted of Drone Delivery Canada’s Sparrow UAV and WorkHouse Aero’s Horsefly flying repeated medical missions over a 0.67-mile (1.1 km) route. 

Those reduced the 1.2-mile (1.9 km) distance required by Caduceus Medical Logistics’ usual car transport activities and were part of the company’s plan to integrate aerial options to speed trajectories and electric cars to eliminate carbon outputs.

The operation also leveraged Airspace Link’s AirHub Portal digital infrastructure platform to generate comprehensive analyses of ground and air risks present inside Holland city limits and other specific areas of operation. The solution enabled the project team to ensure the safety and efficiency of the Drone Delivery Canada and Workhorse Aero deliveries.

“The successful pilot project represents a significant step forward in the integration of drone technology into our daily lives, particularly in the critical field of medical product transportation,” said Steve Magirias, CEO of Drone Delivery Canada. “We are grateful for the collaboration with our operational and community partners, as well as the support from regulatory bodies, which has made this achievement possible. I also want to commend our DDC operators that received their US Part 107 certification in support of this effort.”

Drone Delivery Canada operates using a combination of proprietary software and cutting-edge hardware and makes those assets available to government and global corporate organizations as models of Software-as-a-Service activities.

In addition to the Sparrow craft used in the Caduceus Medical Logistics trial, the company also markets and operates the Canary UAVs certified earlier this year.