Tech for Good

Tech for good

Hero drones saving lives in Rwanda.

Are you familiar with Rwanda's drone program? In today's episode of "Tech for Good," we explore how Rwanda, a nation that has undergone significant challenges over the past three decades, has achieved unparalleled excellence in drone operations worldwide.

Seven years ago, Rwanda, like many African countries, faced a significant challenge in delivering blood. With a population of over 12 million people in this small country, unexpected events like car accidents, postpartum hemorrhages, and urgent transfusions for anemic children demanded immediate attention. Such emergencies are unpredictable and can occur at any time. Consequently, the crucial task was to swiftly transport the life-saving blood from its storage location, Place A, to the patient in Place B.

Given Rwanda's geographical landscape, relying solely on roads was never a feasible solution. With its abundance of hills and valleys, the country posed significant challenges for transportation. Moreover, approximately 80% of Rwanda's population resides in rural areas, where accessibility to roads becomes severely limited, particularly during adverse weather conditions.

In 2016, Rwanda’s government signed a contract with Zipline, a San Francisco-based drone startup, to streamline blood deliveries. Zipline’s autonomous drones would fly the blood from a distribution hub to the health care facility. The blood, contained within an IV bag, would parachute down in an insulated cardboard box, and the drone would zip back. Today, Zipline has two hubs in Rwanda; each can make up to 500 deliveries per day.

About these Drones.

The drones are manufactured by Zipline company incorporation with the Rwanda government.

How drones are operated:

The country has 2 drone delivery center:

1.Muhanga

The Muhanga drone center has 14 drones serving 21 hospitals in western Rwanda, and has so far delivered more than 20,000 blood units. Here, flight operators Prosper Uruvugundi and Eliane Nirere prepare another mission for take-off.

2.Kayanzo

The Kayonza center has 10 drones, each flying up to 14 times a day to deliver blood and medication to five rural hospitals and three health centers in eastern Rwanda.

Drones in Rwanda are typically launched from the two dedicated drone centers strategically located throughout the country. These centers serve as operational hubs for drone activities and ensure efficient deployment and management of drone operations.

At the drone center, operators conduct pre-flight preparations, including checking battery levels, inspecting the aircraft for damage, and ensuring proper attachment of equipment and payloads. Once ready, operators plan the flight mission, determining the optimal route, altitude, and speed for the specific purpose. They establish communication with relevant authorities for necessary clearances, ensuring compliance with airspace regulations. When all preparations and clearances are complete, the drone is ready for launch. Launching is done with the help of a launcher that helps build the initial speed.

The drone is launched within 90 seconds from the moment the order comes through. Once launched, the drone accelerates from 0 to 65mph in a third of a second with the assistance of the launching ramp.

All Zipline drones are autonomous, and so each one can navigate its own way to the correct hospital. This means that the delivery system can operate 24 hours a day, because the drones can fly in the dark just as efficiently and accurately as they can in daylight.

Upon arrival at the hospital, the package is released through a trap door and lands safely using a parachute. Due to their ability to move laterally in any direction, the drones always perform very accurate and precise deliveries.

Thanks to drone delivery, rural facilities can now order rarer blood products, including platelets, fresh frozen plasma, and cryoprecipitates—special proteins isolated from plasma. If these were out of stock locally, patients would previously have been referred to another hospital and transported via ambulance.

These incredible drones have completed over 40 million miles worth of flights in Rwanda so far, and their work has only just begun. According to Avionics International, the government of Rwanda plans to complete close to two million deliveries via drone and to fly more than 200 million kilometers (over 124 million miles) in Rwanda by the year 2029.

Watch this video to learn more on this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOWDNBu9DkU&t=737s]

But what makes these drones truly significant? The answer goes beyond their life-saving efficiency. Zipline drones hold the potential to address the global challenge of CO2 emissions and their detrimental impact on our planet.

Zipline drones operate with near-complete silence and are powered by rechargeable electric batteries. Remarkably, each mile of their flight produces approximately 30 times fewer CO2 emissions compared to an average electric vehicle, as estimated by the company.

These drones have not only significantly reduced in-hospital maternal mortality by 88% in Rwanda but also saved valuable time by circumventing arduous journeys along winding roads to hospitals. Furthermore, their minimal carbon footprint contributes positively to the preservation of our planet. Could these drones shape the future of delivery and package transportation?

Currently, Zipline extends its operations to Japan, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and the United States. They serve approximately 3,000 hospitals globally, with plans to expand that number to 10,000 by the end of this year, as stated by Mark Rober.

The remarkable accomplishments of this company serve as evidence that advancements in engineering and technology can play a significant role in healing our world and fostering greater awareness of reducing climate impact.

While the primary objective of the company has always been to save lives, the thousands of individuals who have received blood and medical supplies through Zipline drones serve as undeniable proof that this goal is being accomplished.

Since Kenya is featured to be among the countries that drones operate I did my research to validate this. I concluded that though we are mentioning it is not a common thing. In my research I established that only Kisumu has the drone program. If you know any other place that the drones operate please inform us through our email. Here is a video outfits operation in Kisumu Kisumu, Zipline test drone to deliver drugs to hospitals.

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