AIR DRUIDS (Autonomous Intelligent Robotic DRones for Unmanned Integrated Delivery System)

It is clearly understood that a pandemic like COVID-19 can easily disrupt the normal functioning of almost any sector. During pandemic, there is a need to transport blood samples, swab tests, blood/plasma, and other urgent/critical medical products such as vaccines that needs to be delivered quickly from/to disparate locations in safe and efficient manner. Unlike other deliveries these are time critical, needs to be appropriately handled, i.e. Keeping samples and supplies at the correct temperature, and ensuring that they are not tampered with can also be key to the viability of the sample or vaccine. BB proposes AIR DRUIDS (Autonomous Intelligent Robotic DRones for Unmanned Integrated Delivery System), an autonomous drone delivery of critical medical products such as blood samples, swabs, vaccines, blood and plasma, enabled by an open systems architecture, with fully monitored payloads to ensure payload viability and integrity is sustained. The technology is scalable in size of payload, size of drones, and number of drones required. The intelligent payload system will be capable of monitoring the medical samples in real-time via the multiple onboard sensors. The information on the medical consignment will be live relayed on the mission control system with an interactive user interface. The BB's smart autopilot and deconfliction system will make the UAV assisted medical delivery autonomous and safe especially in BVLOS range, where safety is the main concern both for the operation of the UAV itself and the medical consignment. The BB's advanced mission control and monitoring system will allow operation of multiple drones, to various locations, all tasked and monitored from a central operations centre by just one person. The combination of all the above existing, modified and new technology will deliver a highly innovative cutting-edge drone management and delivery capability, combined with real time payload monitoring. The modular development route allows this to be deployed as a whole system or in parts to support other programmes, making the value realisable very quickly. BB will collaborate with Cranfield University for the demonstration of the AIR DRUIDS system, utilise NBEC corridor from BB HQ to Cranfield Airport (16km). This not only show the practical application of long-range drone delivery with easily swappable, fully monitored payloads, but will also further demonstrate the utility of the NBEC initiative as a national testing facility.