Medical drone showcased at Amsterdam Drone Week

Words By: Drone Major

KPN provides communication data links for test flights 

The prototype drone used for trials with medical drones will be showcased at the Amsterdam Drone Week at the beginning of December. Last week, the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam gave the green light for the trial named the Medical Drone Service. KPN is involved in this innovative project as a technology partner.

The Erasmus MC and Sanquin Blood Bank, in collaboration with ANWB, PostNL and technology partners Avy (drone developer) and KPN are investigating how drones can be used for medical applications such as transporting blood, medicines, and diagnostic samples to patients and care institutions. Within a period of three years, the partners involved in this collaboration aim to determine what kind of contribution drones can actually make to society in ensuring that care is delivered at the right time and the right place.
 
Connectivity
In the coming period, ANWB will be the party actually carrying out the test flights in order to demonstrate whether unmanned drones can actually make a significant contribution to healthcare in a safe and socially responsible manner. KPN will provide the communication links with the drone. ‘We provide the secure and reliable (data) connectivity that is needed and, in collaboration with other partners, also the critical data required for flying beyond the line of sight of the drone operator’, explains Jacob Groote, who is responsible for rolling out KPN’s 5G services.
 
In recent years, KPN has acquired the necessary experience in working with drones for various applications, whereby various pilot trials were carried out in so-called 5G Field Labs. These included the use of unmanned drones for precise agricultural applications, such as the inspection of crops for diseases as well as for determining the optimum quantities of crop protection agents that need to be applied.
 
Unmanned air mobility
KPN sees a great deal of potential in drones and their potential contribution to society. ‘We are convinced that Unmanned Air Mobility will soon take off, and we wish to play our part in this transformation. 4G and 5G connectivity plus the associated data infrastructure are essential for flying the armed line of sight of the operator’, says Groote. In aviation terminology, flying beyond the line of sight of the operator or pilot is referred to as flying Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). ‘This is critical for ensuring that drones can fly safely and at the same time carry out a wide range of tasks. Drones can, for example, be deployed for logistics purposes as well as for safety & security situations in which high-quality video images are of crucial importance. Drones can make a significant contribution to society, for example in the medical sector.’
 
Amsterdam Drone Week will showcase the medical drone at the KPN stand. If the trial run is successful, further trials will be carried out to test its practical application.
 
Registration
Journalists are invited to cover the Amsterdam Drone Week.
 
About Amsterdam Drone Week
The second edition of Amsterdam Drone Week from 4 to 6 December will make RAI Amsterdam the most important global venue for exchanging knowledge and expertise on current and future air mobility solutions, innovations, and essential regulations. It will be the meeting point where all top-level players, large and small, commercial and non-commercial, from various industries, knowledge institutes and authorised bodies will come together. The central theme will be, ‘How can drones be integrated effectively and efficiently into our airspace and how can urban areas best respond to these new developments?’ 

Please note:
This medical drone, with which blood, medicines and diagnostic samples can be transported, will be on Amsterdam Drone Week. The images can be used royalty-free with acknowledgment of the source: images PostNL. Click on the photos to download the image in high resolution.

About RAI Amsterdam
Bringing together people, both physically and virtually, expands borders... it inspires! RAI Amsterdam has been bringing different worlds, people and markets together, at home and abroad, since 1893. The RAI is an international exhibition and convention company which organises events in the Netherlands and abroad and operates the RAI Convention Centre in the Zuidas business district of Amsterdam. The RAI welcomes around 1.7 million visitors a year to approximately 400 events such as exhibitions, conventions and corporate and other events. The company also provides event-related services to organisers, exhibitors and visitors.