German drone manufacturer Wingcopter has partnered with American medical service provider Air Methods to launch a newly formed drone solution, designed to help improve healthcare access and minimise supply challenges in the U.S.
Spright aims to provide new options for on-demand drone-based, healthcare-specific delivery across the states.
According to the partnership, this new drone delivery network will improve access to urgently needed medical supplies for healthcare providers and the communities they serve. Air Methods will make this possible by deploying fleets of Wingcopter’s new flagship delivery drone, the Wingcopter 198.
The autonomous eVTOL delivery drone is designed to enable safe, reliable, fast, and bi-directional medical deliveries. The company’s patented tilt-rotor technology allows for vertical take-off and landing, while also enabling efficient forward flight over long ranges, thus eliminating the need for additional infrastructure.
The drone has a range of up to 68 miles, a maximum speed of 90 mph and can carry a payload of up to 13 lbs. (6 kg).
“The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated some of the real challenges in our health care system creating an opportunity to find better solutions to extend access to healthcare, especially in rural America,” said JaeLynn Williams, CEO of Air Methods.
“That is why we are doing what Air Methods’ does best, taking to the skies, using the latest in technology and drone innovation, delivering hope and facilitating healing with speed and efficiency that was previously unimaginable. We see Spright serving a vastly underserved market and playing a huge role in a future full of better outcomes for everyone.”
Spright will launch in the autumn, partnering with Hutchinson Regional Medical System, in Kansa, for the launch of an initial pilot project using Wingcopter’s delivery drones. This project will provide a proof of concept of how this new venture can provide needed relief and certainty for medical resources in rural America.
