Successful medical drone delivery trial in North Dakota

Project RuralReach, a drone initiative led by the University of North Dakota Center for Innovation, has completed a medical delivery trial beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).

The 80-mile flight carried medical supplies over the western North Dakota prairie, from Williston to Watford City. The flight was conducted by iSight Drone Services, in collaboration with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS), and Vantis, North Dakota’s state-wide BVLOS system.

The trial demonstrates the real-world potential of BVLOS drone deliveries in rural areas. Unlike previous deliveries, which were conducted in tightly controlled urban environments, this mission aimed to demonstrate the ability of drones to navigate a “dynamic, uncontrolled airspace, populated by low-flying, non-cooperative aircraft”.

The demonstration, using an iSight drone, represents the first use case under the project, with an ultimate aim to employ three uncrewed aircraft to serve rural communities. ISight received US$50,000 through the program to test long-range deliveries in western North Dakota.

“Rural communities don’t have the luxury of cooperative-only airspace,” said Erin Roesler, Deputy Executive Director of the NPUASTS. “What makes this operation so impactful is that it proves BVLOS can be done safely, even in complex, real-world rural environments, and that it can bring real value to North Dakota communities. Supporting those missions – that’s the value of Vantis.”

The city of Los Angeles, California, recently updated its policies to allow police to use drones in more situations.