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A new trial in Wales is set to use specially designed drones to transport blood donations, aiming to enhance emergency medical responses and potentially save lives. Currently, blood donations collected in South Wales undergo processing before being delivered by road, a process that can take several hours. The Dragon’s Heart project intends to transform this by deploying drones capable of carrying life-saving blood samples directly to accident sites. These drones weigh approximately 25 kilograms (55 pounds) and span about 1.7 meters (5.5 feet) in width. The pilot phase of this initiative is scheduled to begin in early 2026 and has been described as both significant and exciting by the Welsh Blood Service.
The drones are designed with a hatch on top, where the blood is stored inside the body of the drone to maintain temperature control and reduce vibrations during flight. The Welsh Blood Service plans to test the transported blood as part of the trial, with flights limited to altitudes around 610 meters (2,000 feet). Peter Richardson, who serves as deputy director and head of quality, safety, and regulatory compliance, assured: “Rest assured we will make sure that not only is the blood safe when it arrives for use, but actually that we don’t waste any of the really valuable donations that our generous donors give us.”
The technology supporting this project comes from Buckinghamshire-based Skyports Drone Services, a company that operates drones globally. Alex Brown, the company’s chief executive, highlighted the uniqueness of their drone technology, which features propellers allowing vertical take-off like a helicopter, and then transitions into fixed-wing flight for longer distances. According to Brown, the drones can land in confined spaces, travel up to about 100 kilometers (62 miles), and operate in winds reaching 30 knots. However, before the trial proceeds, Skyports and its partners must obtain approval from the Civil Aviation Authority to confirm the safety of these drone operations. Brown added, “If we can get that right… that means we can connect medical practices and locations all over rural Wales and really bring the benefits of drones to people of Wales.”
Leading the collaboration is the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre, based at Llanbedr airfield in Gwynedd. Jeremy Howitt, the technical director, emphasized the advantage of conducting the trial there due to the extensive airspace around the airfield that is restricted to non-approved aircraft. This setting provides a safe environment for drone flights, with opportunities to operate over the sea, minimizing risks to people and property on the ground. Howitt explained, “We can prototype all of the systems together in one go and show that it’s safe and then look to migrate that to other places in the country.” Following initial testing, the next phase aims to transport blood between the Welsh Blood Service headquarters in Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and the blood store in Wrexham, which could cut travel time by around three hours. Eventually, the project hopes to establish drone corridors across Wales, improving emergency medical supply routes and potentially supporting the ambulance service’s 999 response as well. Peter Richardson reiterated the significance: “The idea of a drone is that instead of sending one large vehicle on a journey each day, we can send multiple small loads, so that improves the frequency, it reduces the wait time, and allows us to respond much quicker to the needs of the patients across Wales.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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