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
Drones News & Articles
How Can Drone Technology Be Integrated into Current Urban Planning to Benefit Cities Without Compromising Privacy and Security ?
Drones News & Articles
Remote refuelling drone
Drones News & Articles
More and more things are being delivered by drones
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Exploring Solid-State Batteries in eVTOL Applications: A Leap Towards Extended Range and Reliability
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
New design solves one of the biggest problems of eVTOLs
News & Articles Points of interest
One of the world’s biggest online stores to use missiles to deliver parcels
Electric airplane News & Articles
Advancements in Propulsion Technology
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Unraveling eVTOL Operational Costs and Solutions
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Interoperability Challenges in Urban Air Mobility: Can EVTOLs, Drones, and Flying Cars Share the Skies ?
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
How are countries collaborating to standardize regulations, safety protocols, and infrastructure development for the seamless integration of eVTOLs and flying cars into global airspace ?
Air taxi News & Articles
First urban air taxi services to start soon
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
How do companies plan to ensure the cybersecurity of eVTOLs and flying cars, given their reliance on digital technologies for navigation, control, and communication ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Biofuel-Powered Aircraft and Drones
Flying Cars News & Articles
The Resilience of Flying Cars in Adverse Weather Conditions
Air taxi News & Articles
Aesthetic Appeal and Passenger Experience: Pivotal Factors in Air Taxi Design
Flying Cars News & Articles
A Chinese company may produce the AirCar flying cars
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
The Synergy of Machine Learning and Advanced Aviation Technologies
Drones News & Articles
New Chinese drone could confuse enemy defences by splitting in two
Additional aircraft News & Articles
How the next generation of supersonic commercial aircraft took to the skies
Air taxi News & Articles
Economic Dynamics of Urban Air Mobility
Flying Cars News & Articles
What are the solutions to reduce noise from Evtol and flying cars ?
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Suzuki to produce a flying car
Air taxi News & Articles
You can now order a flying taxi from the online shop
Drones News & Articles
Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Techniques for Drones
Additional aircraft News & Articles
Other notable aircraft
Air taxi News & Articles
What impact will air taxi services have on Dubai’s economy, especially the tourism sector ?
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Why is travelling with Evtol safer than with conventional aircraft ?
Air taxi News & Articles
Autonomous Air Traffic Control Systems
Drones News & Articles
The Promise of Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) Systems Powered Drones
Drones News & Articles
Swarm Technology for Drones
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
The Global Race for Air Mobility Supremacy: Who Are the Leading Players and Innovators ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
The Environmental Impact of Electric Aviation: Beyond Zero Emissions
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
What Role Will Public Perception and Community Engagement Play in the Adoption of Urban Air Mobility ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Stratolaunch’s hypersonic vehicle launched for the first time
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
How are emerging technologies like blockchain and IoT being leveraged to enhance the safety, efficiency, and user experience of urban air mobility services ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Centuries-old technology could revolutionise aviation
Air taxi News & Articles
Economic Viability: Are Flying Cars and eVTOLs Economically Viable for Mass Adoption ?
Electric airplane News & Articles
The Environmental Impact of Electric Planes: Are They Truly the Greener Alternative ?
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
How Airbus’ CityAirbus NextGen Aims to Revolutionize Urban Mobility ?
Flying Cars News & Articles
Alef’s flying car preparing for take-off
More articles you may be interested in...
Air taxi News & Articles
Aesthetic Appeal and Passenger Experience: Pivotal Factors in Air Taxi Design
Flying Cars News & Articles
A Chinese company may produce the AirCar flying cars
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
The Synergy of Machine Learning and Advanced Aviation Technologies
Drones News & Articles
New Chinese drone could confuse enemy defences by splitting in two
Drones News & Articles
Swarm Technology for Drones
Swarm technology for drones represents a fascinating frontier in the development and application of unmanned.......... READ MORE
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
The Global Race for Air Mobility Supremacy: Who Are the Leading Players and Innovators ?
The transportation landscape is on the cusp of a revolutionary transformation, with electric vertical takeoff.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
The Environmental Impact of Electric Aviation: Beyond Zero Emissions
The environmental benefits of electric aviation are underpinned by the shift from burning fossil fuels.......... READ MORE
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
What Role Will Public Perception and Community Engagement Play in the Adoption of Urban Air Mobility ?
Urban Air Mobility (UAM), comprising air taxis and other Passenger Air Vehicles (PAVs), promises a.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Stratolaunch’s hypersonic vehicle launched for the first time
The company did not say exactly what speed the vehicle accelerated to, but said it.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
How are emerging technologies like blockchain and IoT being leveraged to enhance the safety, efficiency, and user experience of urban air mobility services ?
Emerging technologies like blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) are poised to significantly enhance.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Centuries-old technology could revolutionise aviation
The jet engine without moving parts is not new, but it is too expensive to.......... READ MORE
Air taxi News & Articles
Economic Viability: Are Flying Cars and eVTOLs Economically Viable for Mass Adoption ?
The dream of mass-market flying cars and electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft hinges.......... READ MORE