[1] A new pilot project has successfully cut the delivery time of medical supplies. The project used a drone to deliver urgent medical supplies to a hospital on an outlying island in Hong Kong. The drone took a 12km flight from Cyberport, in Pok Fu Lam, to St John Hospital in Cheung Chau. The delivery time was reduced by two-thirds, from 65 minutes by ferry to 20 minutes by air.
[2] The project was launched by the government in March. It aimed to provide a faster and more efficient alternative to ferries. Ferries are subject to scheduling constraints. This can delay time-sensitive deliveries.
[3] The project is part of a low-altitude economy regulatory “sandbox”. A “sandbox” is a pilot scheme or test environment used to try out software or new technology.
[4] Mable Chan is Hong Kong’s secretary for transport and logistics. She can be seen visiting Cheung Chau in a video posted by authorities on Facebook last month. Chan called the initiative a leap forward. When the “sandbox pilot projects were launched, they were merely concepts displayed at an exhibition booth,” she said. The government hoped to see “dreams become a reality”, Chan added.
[5] Kenny Lau is SF Express’s chief technology officer for Hong Kong and Macau. He said drone delivery had cut the travel time from Cyberport to Cheung Chau to just 20 minutes. That is a significant drop from the 45 to 65 minutes required by ferries. Lau said the drone's performance was very stable. “We have confidence that we can complete all the tests in this pilot project,” he added.
[6] Dr Maxime Mark is an associate consultant at St John Hospital’s accident and emergency department. Mark said the project would improve medical services and benefit the public. “We are considering using drones to deliver urgent medical supplies from Hong Kong Island to Cheung Chau,” the doctor said. “Patients can remain at St John Hospital instead of being transferred to the urban area for treatment.”
[7] The Hospital Authority said it would continue to test the drone delivery system. The authority added that it looked forward to a safe and efficient transport option for supplies. It hoped the pilot project would improve future hospital operations.
Source: South China Morning Post, September 14
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