Zipline, a company that specialises in using unmanned aerial vehicles to deliver medical supplies, has started operations in Japan.
Starting today [21 April] across the Goto Islands off the western coast of Kyushu, in southwestern Japan, the drones will deliver to pharmacies and hospitals.
According to Zipline, its services may extend to other parts of Japan, including urban areas, although the biggest needs tend to be in isolated rural areas.
“You can totally transform the way that you react to pandemics, treat patients and do things like home health care delivery,” Zipline, chief executive, Keller Rinaudo told The Associated Press.
“Communities will deeply understand the value of the service. And it was also easier to get regulators comfortable with what we were doing when every flight was potentially saving a human life.”
The Japanese launch follows a partnership with with Toyota Tsusho, a group company of automaker Toyota Motor Corp. Zipline has also partnered with Walmart in the US to deliver other products at the retail chain, as well as pharmacy products. It is also delivering medical goods in Ghana and Rwanda.
Read more: Drone delivery start-up distributing medical supplies raises US$250m
