Three years ago the Munich-based drone manufacturer Quantum Systems launched the Medintime project. The goal was to accelerate the delivery of emergency medications, such as anticoagulants for accident victims or antibiotics for patients. The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) with a total of €961,624 and involved partners such as the Ingolstadt Hospital, the Ilmtalklinik Pfaffenhofen Hospital, the Pfaffenhofen District, the Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences, and the Bavarian Red Cross.
With Medintime Drone technology was further developed for the specific application context of medication delivery, and a standardized digital delivery process was developed. In an initial test, the aircraft covered a distance of just over 43 kilometers – from the Ingolstadt Hospital to the Ilmtalklinik Pfaffenhofen – in 38 minutes. By car, this distance can take twice as long, depending on traffic conditions. The project partners were thus able to demonstrate that the rapid and safe transport of medication by drone is technically feasible. The findings will now form the basis for the future supply of emergency medications using new technologies.
The aviation regulations presented a particular challenge for the project. Since automated drone flight takes place outside the pilot's line of sight, particularly strict requirements must be met.
“Germany is at the forefront of this development”
Federal Minister of Transport Volker Wissing, whose house promotes Medintime, says:
"Drones can save lives. They can make the crucial difference when it comes to quickly providing care to people in remote areas or transporting vital medical supplies from A to B. That's why, as an industrialized nation, we must be open to new technologies – especially with regard to the use of drones. Germany is at the forefront of this development. We want to further expand this pioneering role in unmanned flight. I will do everything I can to ensure that drug transport by drone will soon become possible on a large scale."
And Pierre Ulfig, Medintime project manager at Quantum-Systems, explains:
"Using drones as a means of transport could enable emergency medications to be transported more quickly and in a more tailored manner in the future. At the same time, the environment could be protected and costs could be saved."
