InDro Robotics is pleased to be part of a newly funded research initiative that will explore delivering healthcare supplies by drone to three separate rural Indigenous communities. The project’s full title is “Implementing Drone Technology in Rural Indigenous Healthcare Systems: The Drone Transport Initiative.”
This news is actually the latest component of a multi-pronged initiative that will examine the need for and effectiveness of such deliveries, how to best ensure the most comprehensive benefits for communities in need, incorporate best practices from a multidisciplinary team – and even develop and test new technologies. The ultimate long-term goal is to develop an efficient and safe long-range drone delivery system that could be deployed at scale to enhance healthcare in remote Indigenous and other isolated communities.
The funding for the newest phase comes from Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF). The Fund typically focuses on “interdisciplinary, international, high-risk/high-reward and fast-breaking research.”
There’s no question that rural Indigenous communities face barriers to access to the healthcare most Canadians take for granted. As the NFRF announcement points out: “Delivering medical supplies to rural Indigenous communities in Canada presents significant challenges, leading to health inequities. Drones offer a promising solution by transporting medical supplies, potentially bridging these gaps in healthcare access. By doing so, this project addresses these inequities and supports the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.”
The Principal Investigator of this portion of the project is Dr. Femke Hoekstra (PhD), Assistant Professor at UBC’s Department of Medicine, Division of Social Medicine in the area of Implementation Science. Her research focuses on improving “health services and care for equity-deserving groups in rural, remote and isolated communities.” She holds multiple other related qualifications/positions – and is a perfect fit to oversee the research.
Above: The Skylane M350, a long-range VTOL InDro is evaluating for use in the project. Below: A previous InDro initiative delivering COVID test supplies to an isolated First Nations community during the peak of the COVID19 pandemic
