Several SBS academics are involved in the AGS-led consortium to develop the UK's first medical delivery drone network. The consortium brings together 13 organisations including Strathclyde. The CAELUS project will involve live drone flight trials and will ensure critical aspects such as public safety, security and noise levels are considered.
Marco Fossati from Engineering is leading the project along with fellow Engineering faculty Massimiliano Vasile, Eduardo Patelli, Ikenna Efika, Graeme Burke and Michael Cashmore, and Jill MacBryde, Kerem Akartunali and Stathis Tapinos from the Business School are all involved.
The project emerged from research led by Strathclyde whose researchers will create a digital blueprint of the drone delivery network with the potential to connect hospitals, pathology laboratories, distribution centres and GP surgeries across Scotland.
In addition to developing the ground infrastructure needed to recharge the drones and the systems to control them while flying, a key aspect of the project will be ensuring the drones can safely share airspace with civil aviation.
The system would employ electrical drones, which could in future be fully autonomous with the capability to take off and land like helicopters but fly like fixed-wing aircraft.
Strathclyde will also lead on the development of the conceptual digital twin model of a distributed recharging network for the drones.
To read the full press release about the CAELUS project, please click here