Will Coventry become UK’s first city for life-saving support by drone?

Innovate UK chooses Skyfarer for medical transport - Skyfarer.co.uk

Coventry could become the first city in the UK to introduce transportation of NHS equipment and supplies by drone. Coventry City Council has been working with Skyfarer Limited, a leading body in drone safety and operation, to introduce the Urban Ascent Project. The announcement was made via the Council’s website on the 24th of November and could have Coventry leading the country in drone infrastructure.

The project’s main advertised features will include the rapid delivery of life-saving defibrillators to remote accident locations and the safe and efficient surveying of roads which could lay the foundation for a drone taxi system using electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs).

Miles Venni, a former employee in the commercial drone sector, told me some of his thoughts on the project; saying that advancements in camera technology have made imaging inspections possible with much higher detail, and the ease of deployment of drones will come with many advantages. However, his main concern is that legislation currently does not allow for drone operation above built-up areas or gatherings of more than 1500 people, meaning a change in legislation must occur.

The project will not be focusing on live trials but instead will examine the readiness of infrastructure for drone usage. It will also include planning for vertiports.

aiaa.org (Aerospace America)

Coventry City Council will be working in close collaboration with Skyfarer, who will act as a safety and regulatory body during the development process. Another major organization working on the project will be Coventry University itself, as their Research Centre for Future Transport and Cities will be at the head of priority case-use evaluation, creating a business case for air mobility and showcasing what drones can bring to cities in social, economic, logistical, and infrastructure areas.

skyfarer.co.uk

The project is funded by Innovate UK and the Department for Transport through the Future Flight Regional Demonstrator programme. It is also a collaboration between many bodies, including Coventry University. Mariya Trojanowski, the innovation lead for Future Flight at Innovate UK, said, “The Urban Ascent Project is a strong example of how local authorities, industry, and academia can come together to prepare for the safe and scalable integration of new aviation services which benefit local communities and drive growth across the UK.”

So, with Coventry leading the way in drone infrastructure and integration, only time will tell if it succeeds and carves a path for the rest of the country.