India kicks off ‘Medicine from the Sky’ BVLOS drone delivery trials

Ishveena Singh -
Drone DeliveryCoronavirus (COVID-19)Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS)India
medicine from the sky

The state of Telangana in India is beginning trial runs for the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, medicines, and other healthcare items using drones from today. For this “Medicine from the Sky” project, logistics company Blue Dart has teamed up with drone delivery startup Skye Air Mobility and UK-based Unified Traffic Management (UTM) technology platform Altitude Angel.

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Viral drone video captures farmer’s last goodbye to aunt

Ishveena Singh -
Drone videoAustraliaCoronavirus (COVID-19)

When COVID-19 restrictions prevented Australian farmer Ben Jackson from attending his beloved Aunt Deb’s funeral, he decided to honor her memory with a novel tribute: a heart made of sheep. A poignant drone video that captured the beautiful moment has struck a chord with many families separated during the pandemic.

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As cases surge, UPS gets temperature-monitoring drones to deliver COVID-19 vaccine

Ishveena Singh -
Drone DeliveryCoronavirus (COVID-19)UPS

When Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine first came out, it needed to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius – a temperature colder than the winter in Antarctica. But with the US Food and Drug Administration relaxing the temperature mandates for transportation and storage of undiluted vials, a new opportunity has opened up for delivery drones. And it’s an opportunity that delivery solutions company UPS is looking to leverage with the help of special cold chain packaging, developed specifically for drones.

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Peeping drones spy on quarantining rugby players and their families in Australia

Ishveena Singh -
AustraliaCoronavirus (COVID-19)

Australia’s drama-charged National Rugby League (NRL) cannot seem to catch a break. With Sydney’s latest COVID-19 outbreak spiraling, hundreds of NRL players and their families have been forced to relocate to Queensland mid-season. But since then, there have been multiple reports of COVID-19 bubble breaches, which have put the game’s future at risk. The latest scandalous development comes in the form of drones being deployed as creepy, electronic Peeping Toms to keep the players and their families in check.

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Spanish seaside town calls in drones to manage overcrowded beaches

Ishveena Singh -
Coronavirus (COVID-19)Drone SurveillanceSpain

As seashores start to get packed with sun-worshippers, a coastal town in northeastern Spain is using drones to monitor beach crowds in real time. The drone trials in Sitges come at a time when COVID-19 cases are rising dramatically across Spain.

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Zipline raises $250 million in new funding to fuel Africa, US activity

Bruce Crumley -
Drone DeliveryCoronavirus (COVID-19)ZiplineAfricaautomation

The world’s leading drone delivery specialist, Zipline, has announced a capital infusion of $250 million, which it will use to expand its booming activities in Africa and the US. The investment increases the total funds Zipline has raised to $486 million, and values the instant logistics company at $2.75 billion.

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