New Delhi, 26 November
The Center will start a pilot project on the use of indigenously made drones for delivery of medicines in Jammu and adjoining areas from Saturday, with a focus initially on the delivery of vaccines.
Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of Science and Technology told media persons, “This is going to be a pilot project for the region. The drone is completely developed and manufactured by our scientists.”
Singh said that he himself would launch the project in Jammu.
The drone has been developed by scientists from Bengaluru’s National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), a component of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an autonomous society headed by the Prime Minister.
For now, delivery will be limited to COVID vaccines and once successful, it will be used for routine delivery of drugs in remote, mountainous areas.
Jammu and adjoining areas are sensitive from the point of view of strategic importance. A few months back an army installation was attacked using drones. Will ‘drone for vaccine’ be allowed in such a case?
Allaying apprehensions, a top official in the Ministry of Science and Technology said, “Drone will be deployed by authorized agencies like hospitals, neither one can use it, nor any random person is allowed to use it.” Will go.” NAL has termed the drone as ‘Octacopter’ and it can fly at an operating altitude of 500 meters AGL and a maximum flight speed of 36 kmph. It can be used for a variety of BVLOS applications for last mile delivery such as medicines, vaccines, food, postal packets, human organs (eg heart for heart transplant) etc.
The NAL octacopter is integrated with a powerful on-board embedded computer and latest generation sensors for versatile applications like agricultural pesticide spraying, crop monitoring, mining survey, magnetic geo survey mapping etc., S&T officials had said. IANS