A project to build a specialized medical drone at the University of Sydney has received A$3.6 million ($2.3 million) in funding.
Backed by a strategic partnership between the university and healthcare-focused consultancy ASAC, the Wildu Aero project is developing a hydrogen-powered vertical take-off and landing. (VTOL) Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for transporting medical cargo.
What distinguishes this drone from existing ones, said Dries Verstraete, project leader and associate professor at the university, is its sustainability and its ability to fly greater distances using a triple hybrid system based on fuel cells.
WHY IT MATTERS
The drone project aims to help address health inequalities for Australia’s rural and isolated communities, particularly First Nations.
It will help local primary health care networks provide care and complement telehealth, pathology and pharmaceutical delivery services. It will also support emergency and disaster management operations, especially during infection outbreaks and floods.
By extension, it will also enable early detection, prevention and treatment of health conditions endemic to rural and remote Australia, including sepsis.
IN THE REGISTER
“Large areas of Australia do not have easy access to healthcare. Current technology does not allow drones to cover the necessary distances while being sustainable, powered by hydrogen and producing no emissions. Our mission is to create a carbon neutral system powered by hydrogen VTOL UAV that can carry medical cargo and at the same time provide unparalleled range,” said Professor Verstraete, who is also a member of the University of Sydney Net Zero Initiative and School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering.