The UK space sector has been given over £1million ($1.3m) in funding to create a drone fleet to carry Covid-19 samples and tests.
The initiative will see the drone infrastructure and landing pads installed at hospitals in the UK to enable patients to be sent coronavirus testing kits and for the samples to be swiftly returned.
Project Dreadnought is being led by Apian in London, which is part of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, and aims to establish a network of secure air corridors for electric drones to navigate via satellite-enabled GPS.
Each drone will be able to carry samples, test-kits and personal protective equipment.
It is hoped the use of drones will avoid courier call-out waiting times, free-up NHS staff, reduce unnecessary physical contact and minimise the risk of secondary transmission of the virus.
The project will be based at Broomfield Hospital, part of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, and will be supported by the Anglia Ruskin University.
The hospital stands on a former First Word War airfield.
"Covid-19 has highlighted challenges in NHS supply chain logistics,” Christopher Law, from Apian, said.
“There has never been a better time to create a faster, more dependable and environmentally friendly method of transporting medical supplies.
“We are confident that by setting up a medical drone delivery service, we’ll be able to fly samples to labs more regularly, reliably and quickly, improving patient health outcomes.”
The healthcare drone company is one of three new projects using space-enabled technologies and services to support the NHS in the ongoing battle against the pandemic.
“The efforts of the UK’s space sector to support our incredible NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic have been truly inspirational,” Science Minister Amanda Solloway said.
“The projects we are backing are fantastic examples of how our leading space scientists are supporting those directly on the frontline to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The UK Space Agency is also backing DriverNet – a mobile app that will use satellite technology to provide access to more affordable community transport for people wishing to go to and from Covid-19 care providers.
It will use artificial intelligence to batch patients by their geolocation and send NHS workers and patients a text when shuttle services are available in their area.
The projects – set to receive £1.3m of funding – have been selected as part of a joint initiative between the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency (ESA) which already provided one round of funding in July, worth £1.1 million ($1.4m), to companies developing space-based solutions for issues created by Covid-19.
Last year the ESA, which is independent of the EU, committed £374 million ($486m) per year investment from its Business Applications Space Solutions fund to support Europe’s coronavirus response.
“In 2020 we all saw the critical importance of rapid and efficient healthcare operations so, at ESA and the UK Space Agency, we asked the space applications industry to think how they could help,” said Nick Appleyard, Head of Downstream Business Applications at ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications in Oxfordshire.
“Much space-enabled technology removes the need to move people, whether this is patients, healthcare practitioners or couriers. Instead, we can use drones to move samples and equipment, or satellites to move information to reach even the most isolated communities at a speed that was impossible until now.
“Even when patients do need to attend hospital appointments, moving information using satellites enables them to do so in a cheaper and more environmentally friendly manner. Space technology will allow our health services to save more lives.”
Last year the UK Space Agency provided £5 million ($6.5m) for new health technologies inspired by working in space to support NHS England.
These included providing real-time diagnosis of bowel cancer, developing more compact 3D X-ray machines and a mobile app that provided exercise plans free from air pollution for those with medical conditions such as asthma.
