SAN FRANCISCO - Volansi, Inc., a leader in vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), middle-mile drone delivery services, announces it has begun a commercial healthcare drone delivery project in North Carolina.
In collaboration with Merck, known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada, Volansi is piloting the delivery of cold chain medicines from Merck's Wilson, N.C. manufacturing site to Vidant Healthplex-Wilson, a Vidant Health clinic, as the first of three phases in a project to learn about drone technology's role and ability to improve access to healthcare.
With 1.4 million people across 29 counties, eastern North Carolina's vast, rural environment can create challenges for accessing care. Initial flights in the project resulted in the first drone delivery of temperature-controlled medicines within the U.S.
The project utilizes Volansi's VOLY C10, an all-electric drone capable of carrying 10-pounds of cargo to locations up to 50 miles away. The VOLY C10's vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) system allows it to deliver fragile cargo with a "soft touch" automated release once the drone has landed at the delivery location. The VTOL system also requires minimal infrastructure to operate and is also capable of delivering on the returning flight items to support order confirmation like temperature trackers and shipping confirmation.
Volansi is collaborating with the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program and the North Carolina Department of Transportation to ensure that its deliveries are made safely and in accordance with state and federal guidelines.
Volansi will seek additional approval from the FAA to provide deliveries in additional locations, for phases two and three of the project, enabling a flexible, on-demand, and responsive supply of critical medicines.
