Although designed for urban setups, the Medicine Delivery Drone’s main focus is on urban residents who cannot step out on their own to buy medicines. The drone, designed specifically for carrying pills, can travel between a pharmacy and a residence, dropping off life-saving medicines without any effort on the part of the patient.
The drone was designed as a response to the strict Zero Covid policy instituted in China, where lockdowns are imposed to help curb the virus, often affecting the ability for people with serious ailments to step out and buy medicines. In such situations, the drone does the job for them, fulfilling prescription requirements by shuttling between nearby pharmacies and the recipients. “This is a convenient drone based on air delivery of drugs in the post-epidemic period”, says designer Afu. “It has functions such as carrying drugs and contactless distribution.”
Designer: Afu
The fleet of drones works in partnership with pharmacies through a smartphone app that also tracks prescriptions as well as fulfills orders. The drone arrives at residences and automatically opens its lid to reveal the contents within. All the user has to do is lift the contents out of the drone and the lid shuts automatically. The drone then takes off, traveling back to the pharmacy for a battery charge and to fulfill the next order.
The drone boasts a relatively compact design, measuring 33 cm or a little more than a foot across. The body of the drone is hollow, allowing it to hold up to two packets of medicines. The delivery drone uses a set of cameras as eyes, being able to navigate spaces comfortably, although the designer took the unusual route of making the drone foldable, which seems like an unnecessary feature. This also means the rotors don’t come with guards that protect it against accidents, or the recipients against potential injury from spinning fans.
