Drones

Drone Supply Canada works collectively to ship deliveries to rural communities

Courtesy of DDC

Drone Delivery Canada partners with the University of British Columbia to deploy delivery drones for the Stellat’en First Nation.

The agreement is part of UBC’s Remote Communities Drone Transportation Initiative and enables deliveries on defined routes using DDC’s Sparrow drone and its DroneSpot take-off and landing zones to move cargo to the Stellat’en Village of Fraser Lake in central northern British Columbia to transport.

A DDC spokesman said site infrastructure installation would begin later this summer, with drone delivery services slated for the second half of this year. The deployment will be DDC’s fourth First Nations project and the first in British Columbia.

“As we move into a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the threat of forest fires, we look forward to learning how this cutting edge transportation technology can be used to meet community needs and inequalities in access to health to eliminate. Care needs and services, ”said Dr. Michael Allard, Vice Dean, Health Engagement, UBC Medical School.

“Due to the isolation of our community and the needs of our residents, drone transport can improve our access to COVID-19 tests and medication without traveling and endangering other members of our community,” said Stellat’en First Nation chief Robert Michell, Located about 62 miles west of Prince George. “The future potential of this initiative is exciting. There is so much you can do with drone technology. “

“UBC’s medical school is a recognized global leader and we welcome their initiative to support the deployment of drones for the benefit of First Nations communities,” said DDC CEO Michael Zara. He added that LifeLabs, a provider of laboratory diagnostic information and digital health connectivity, will support the project to ensure an end-to-end solution through participation in data analysis, sample logistics and training.

Life-saving drone solutions in the midst of the pandemic

Last year, DDC announced a collaboration with GlobalMedic and Air Canada to deliver cargo with COVID treatment to Christian Island, a remote area managed by the Beausoleil First Nation Community in Ontario.

The company also partnered with the First Nation of Georgina Island to provide delivery services to the Ontario community. A two-way delivery flight route to the First Nation mainland employs a Sparrow drone and DroneSpot take-off and landing zones.

DDC has also signed a research agreement with the Institute of Aerospace Studies at the University of Toronto in collaboration with automaker Ford. The group will test an automated drone while tracking and landing on a moving ground vehicle within the flight arena. In 2019, DDC signed an Air Canada-brokered agreement to work with Kenyan startup Astral Aerial Solutions Limited to expand the African country’s drone delivery market.

Jason is a longtime DroneLife employee with a passionate interest in anything technology related. He focuses on anti-drone technologies and the public safety sector; Police, fire brigade, search and rescue services.

Jason began his career as a journalist in 1996 and has since written and edited thousands of exciting news articles, blog posts, press releases, and online content.

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