World's longest urban drone delivery route runs in Zurich
Diagnostic samples are being transported by drone between two Zurich hospitals over a distance of 5 km in a record time of just under 7 minutes.
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Matternet, a drone manufacturer based in Mountain View, California, has created the world's longest delivery route for drones over a major city – Zurich – according to the company's press release. The route connects two hospitals, between which Matternet M2 drones transport biological samples and diagnostic tests. The flight between the two hospitals takes about seven minutes. The flights are autonomous beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), allowing the drones to fly beyond visual range and cover much greater distances. A mission control centre in Zurich monitors the flight and takes any necessary flight control action.
Switzerland has positioned itself as one of the leading countries in the world for large-scale drone delivery operations. And this new route in Zurich – which builds on five years of successful operations in Switzerland – will help us gain insights into developing a citywide medical network that can become a template for similar networks in Europe, the US and beyond.
Reduced delivery time
Delivery times between the two hospitals are drastically reduced compared to ground transport, as vehicles do not need to navigate through city traffic. This also reduces the CO₂ footprint, because the quadcopters are electrically powered.
A Matternet drone delivers diagnostic samples between two hospitals in Zurich.
Lower workload for laboratories
At the same time, drones can carry out on-demand deliveries more efficiently than couriers making individual trips. Furthermore, in the past, some shipments were bundled into larger vehicles and made once a day, which meant that samples arrived in bundles, increasing the workload for laboratory staff. Now samples can be delivered throughout the day, reducing the workload.
First FAA standard Type Certification for unmanned aircraft
In the US, Matternet received type certification and manufacturing certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2022 for its current M2 drone. This was the first standard FAA-type certification for an unmanned aircraft. In 2019, the drone company entered into a partnership with transport service provider UPS to deliver medical samples between hospitals. Matternet drones have completed over 20,000 flights worldwide.