Drones can go out instead of ambulances

  • Reading Time:4Minutes

Demand for drones is growing year on year, as more and more sectors see them as a fantasy, from the military to e-commerce and police. At the same time, it turns out that emergency services could also benefit greatly from flying vehicles.

A Swedish experiment has shown that a drone carrying a defibrillator that can be operated by an ordinary person can reach the patient faster than a conventional ambulance. Sofia Schierbeck, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute’s Centre for Resuscitation Science in Stockholm and author of the study, says we are at the dawn of a new beginning, where drones could play a bigger role in saving lives than ever before.

Sudden cardiac arrest can occur because an electrical disturbance in the heart causes it to stop immediately, cutting off blood to the brain and vital organs. Death can occur within minutes if the heart rhythm is not restored. Unfortunately, this dramatic event only causes preliminary symptoms in a minority of cases, and most of the time there are no signs. In addition, surveys show that patients wait too long to call for help, even though it is important to be aware that if chest pain of a compressive nature does not go away within five minutes, an ambulance should be called immediately.

According to the experts who carried out the study, using a defibrillator as soon as possible could increase the chances of survival from ten to fifty percent, but this requires help to arrive in time. The trial actually started in 2017. A study in 2017 showed that fifty-five out of every 100,000 people in the United States go into sudden cardiac arrest each year, and only eight to ten percent survive. Jacob Hollenberg, director of the centre, told the Guardian: he believes that cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac arrest in Western countries. As he said, in such cases every minute, or even every second, counts.

After ten to twelve minutes of cardiac arrest, there is virtually no chance of survival. So using a defibrillator can make a huge difference in the first few minutes, but improving the arrival time of the ambulance service alone is not enough. On average, one in ten patients survive.

In their trial, the experts demonstrated a drone built by the Swedish State Transport Agency. The device, equipped with eight propellers, weighs just over five and a half (5.7) kilograms, the automated defibrillator weighs seven hundred and sixty-three grams and has a maximum speed of seventy-five kilometres per hour. It is located in a fire barracks in the north of Stockholm and was used eighteen times in October 2016 by two trained pilots. GPS was used to control the aircraft in a ten-kilometre area where numerous cardiac arrests were recorded between 2006 and 2014.

The average time between calling and sending the drone was three seconds, compared to three minutes for the rescuers. The average time between the drone’s call and arrival was five minutes and twenty-one seconds, compared to twenty-two minutes for an ambulance. On average, the drone arrived at the scene sixteen minutes and thirty-nine seconds earlier than a conventional ambulance. However, the Guardian also mentioned the limitations of drone first aid: traffic may have changed from 2006 to 2014, and the study did not look at the proportion of paramedics and civilian bystanders involved in resuscitation.

Hollenberg, who says a defibrillator is easier to use than a fire extinguisher, hopes that drones could be deployed in healthcare within two years. In the meantime, of course, they still have a number of trials to complete and they will have to obtain permission from the aviation authorities, as current Swedish law only allows drones to fly at a distance that is within the field of vision of the external operator.

According to the director, drones will also be used in other cases, such as road accidents or allergic attacks. In an interview with New Scientist, Adrian Boye of the Royal College of Medicine’s emergency department in London called the Swedish experiment “strange”: he said more effort should be put into teaching ordinary people to perform CPR.

In many major cities, including London and Stockholm, there are mobile apps that can alert resuscitators near the patient. For example, the Staying Alive android app, available in eighteen languages, which pinpoints the nearest automatic defibrillators (more than 80,000 devices have been registered worldwide so far). Within this app, there is also an app called Bon Samaritain, which anyone who is capable of providing emergency assistance can subscribe to, so that those in the immediate vicinity can alert them if necessary.

Recent article

Air taxi News & Articles

Autonomous Air Traffic Control Systems

Drones News & Articles

Swarm Technology for Drones

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Stratolaunch’s hypersonic vehicle launched for the first time

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Centuries-old technology could revolutionise aviation

Flying Cars News & Articles

Alef’s flying car preparing for take-off

News & Articles Points of interest

Achieving Market Dominance in the eVTOL and Flying Car Industry

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Enhancing Emergency Response with eVTOL Technology

News & Articles Points of interest

The first large-scale rocket backpack competition was organised

Drones News & Articles

Red Bull has created the world’s fastest drone

Flying Cars News & Articles

Alef Aeronautics’ Model A could be in production in 2025

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Unveiling the Energy Dynamics of eVTOLs

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

What are the requirements for building a vertiport ?

Drones News & Articles

The role and future of military drones in wars

Flying Cars News & Articles

What are the safety concerns about flying cars and Evtol ?

Flying Cars News & Articles

How Will Flying Car Technology Evolve in the Next Decade ?

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Satellite Communications in the Age of eVTOLs

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

eVTOLs: Revolutionizing Urban Mobility with Electric Propulsion

Drones News & Articles

A drone airliner lands at Abu Dhabi airport

Air taxi News & Articles

The cost of China’s Ehang unmanned air taxi revealed

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

The Role of Electric Motors in eVTOL Efficiency and Feasibility

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Evtols and the current state of self-direction

Air taxi News & Articles

Autonomous air mobility with EHang

Flying Cars News & Articles

New jobs in the eVTOL and flying car era

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

FAA’s Path to eVTOL Certification
More articles you may be interested in...

News & Articles Points of interest

Achieving Market Dominance in the eVTOL and Flying Car Industry

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Enhancing Emergency Response with eVTOL Technology

News & Articles Points of interest

The first large-scale rocket backpack competition was organised

Drones News & Articles

Red Bull has created the world’s fastest drone

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Satellite Communications in the Age of eVTOLs

The integration of satellite communication technology into the operation and navigation of eVTOLs (Electric Vertical.......... READ MORE

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

eVTOLs: Revolutionizing Urban Mobility with Electric Propulsion

Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles represent a cutting-edge frontier in the quest for.......... READ MORE

Drones News & Articles

A drone airliner lands at Abu Dhabi airport

In an age where innovation intersects with tradition, drone light shows have emerged as the.......... READ MORE

Air taxi News & Articles

The cost of China’s Ehang unmanned air taxi revealed

In a groundbreaking move that heralds a new era in urban transportation, China's Ehang has.......... READ MORE

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

The Role of Electric Motors in eVTOL Efficiency and Feasibility

The emergence of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles and flying cars represents a.......... READ MORE

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Evtols and the current state of self-direction

The current state of self-direction, or autonomous navigation, in eVTOLs is a fascinating convergence of.......... READ MORE

Air taxi News & Articles

Autonomous air mobility with EHang

In an era marked by rapid technological advances, the concept of urban mobility is undergoing.......... READ MORE

Flying Cars News & Articles

New jobs in the eVTOL and flying car era

As the eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) and flying car industry edges closer from.......... READ MORE