Drones in Emergencies

Drones can be used in individual emergencies. In the Netherlands, Alec Momont, an engineering student at TU Delft in Delft, designed an “ambulance drone” Drone Video System (pictured) specifically developed to combat the high mortality rate of cardiac arrest victims. The ambulance drone is capable of traveling at speeds up to 60 mph, according to Slate, and is fully equipped with an on-board camera, which allows a remote operator to talk to people and provide emergency instructions.

Momont estimates that a drone’s speedy response time and on-scene assistance capabilities could increase cardiac arrest survival rates to more than 80 percent. While the FAA has not yet extensively tested medical drone use in the United States, they are in the process of developing standards and guidelines for the safe and legal use of drones in commercial applications, in ways that do not violate an individual’s right to privacy.

Make no mistake about it; drones have the ability to serve as life-saving and life-giving resources for a healthcare industry increasingly challenged to find new, safe, and cost-effective ways to deliver much needed medicine to remote locations, gather data needed to assist medical personnel in an unfolding crisis, and provide information to an individual trying to assist someone in need.

- Kevin Kelly / InfoComm International