Lifesaving venture "Zipline" that delivers "blood" to hospitals by drone --Local coverage from Japan to Africa --CNET Japan

When requested by hospitals in various parts of Rwanda, an airplane-shaped drone loaded with a special case containing a blood pack (blood product for blood transfusion) flies vigorously from the launch pad. Upon arriving over the hospital, the drone drops the case. A parachute slowly causes a case with a blood pack to fall near the hospital.

Airplane drone developed by Zipline

This is a state-of-the-art medical service provided by the US life-saving venture "Zipline" based in Rwanda, a landlocked country in East Africa. Blood delivery time to hospitals, which used to take two hours, has been reduced to just 15 minutes. The company has been operating in Rwanda since October 2016, and has now succeeded in commercializing drone logistics on a scale that covers one country. It has already entered the unicorn company with a valuation of over 100 billion yen.

At CNET Japan, I had the opportunity to interview Zipline locally by accompanying Kobe City's Rwanda entrepreneurship experience program "KOBE STARTUP AFRICA in Rwanda" for young people in Japan. We will tell you about the actual situation of drone ventures that are active in Rwanda, which is more than 10,000 kilometers away from Japan.

Deliver to a hospital 80 km away at a maximum speed of 130 km / h

Here's how Zipline works. When an order is placed from a hospital that needs blood urgently, such as a pregnant woman who has a Caesarean section and bleeding does not stop, the company's warehouse staff puts the blood pack and medicines in a special durable case and puts it on the airfield. Give it to the staff.

Blood pack delivery requests come from hospitals around the world Former medical staff carefully packs medicines

The airfield staff who received it stored the case in the bottom of the drone. By scanning the QR code of the aircraft with a smartphone, the drone and blood information are linked. After that, after placing the drone on the launch pad, attach the main wing and battery, and when the flight permission is obtained from Kigali International Airport, launch the drone toward the hospital.

Read the QR code of the aircraft with a smartphone and link it with the blood pack information Install the drone on the launch pad Furthermore, attach the main wing Launch the drone when the flight permission is obtained from the airport wirelessly (from US CNET)

The drone weighs about 20 kg and can carry up to 2 kg of blood. It flies to the client at a maximum speed of 130 km / h, and it is said that one flight can fly about 80 km (round trip about 160 km) and up to 90 minutes. You can check the route during the flight from the dedicated tablet.

The case is dropped using a parachute around the hospital, but because it is highly durable, the blood pack will not crack due to the impact of falling on the ground. According to the company, it can be dropped with an error of less than two cars.

Check the flight route with a tablet Drop the case containing the blood pack from the sky above the destination hospital (from CNET, USA)

The method of collecting the drone that has returned after delivering the blood is also very unique. The computer-controlled wire is caught by hooking it on a hook of only 2 cm on the tail of the main body. Most drones can be caught once, but at the time of the interview, the first catch failed, and the drone turned again and succeeded in collecting it with the second catch. When the drone you catch calms down, the staff removes the battery and takes it to the charging spot.

Catch the returned drone with a wire

An average of 30 flights a day, "doesn't rest" even in the rain and wind

The main roads are well maintained in Rwanda, but there are many unpaved roads in rural areas that make it difficult to walk, and once it rains heavily, it is muddy and difficult for cars to pass. In addition, the country has so many mountains and hills that it is called "the country of a thousand hills" and the height difference is large, so it is not easy to carry luggage in the first place.

The height difference is so great that it is called "the country of a thousand hills", a rural road immediately after it rains.

Against this background, drone delivery that is not affected by road conditions is useful. For example, it can now be delivered in 20 minutes to a hospital that used to take 3 hours by car.

Currently, there are about 540 hospitals targeted for delivery by Zipline, covering more than 70% of the area other than the capital Kigali. He flies an average of 30 drones every day for 12 hours from 7:00 to 19:00, and delivers blood 365 days a year.

In addition, 40% of these are urgent requests that require blood immediately. Since it is an airplane type and stable flight is possible, delivery will not be suspended due to rain and wind. The aircraft has troubles about once every three months, and if it breaks down, it uses the built-in parachute to land the aircraft as safely as possible.

Regarding the stable supply of blood, we have established a system to confirm how much blood has been ordered and how much blood remains in the past three weeks, and to have only the required amount delivered from the central hospital. As a result, the waste rate of blood, where freshness is important, is also overwhelmingly reduced.

Blood packs are managed at a low temperature of -30 degrees Celsius

It's a business model that I'm curious about, but the hospital pays Zipline for free. The company has a comprehensive contract with the Rwandan government, and the Ministry of Health will bear the cost of delivery. That's why Zipline has become an indispensable part of the country.