Google awarded US patent for medical supplies delivery drone
The US Patent Office (USPO) has granted a patent to Google for a drone system that could be used to deliver medical equipment. In the patent, which was filed back in June 2013 but awarded yesterday (5 April), Google said that the system could be use to deliver equipment such as defibrillators.
As Post&Parcel reported earlier today, the idea of using drones to deliver urgent medical supplies – particular in areas where road coverage is sparse or difficult – seems to be taking off fast. Silicon Valley-based drone developer Zipline is actually planning launch a medical supply drone network in Rwanda within the next few months. Flirtey and Matternet have also used their drones for test deliveries of medical supplies.
Google and its Alphabet wing have been submitting some interesting patents for “alternative” delivery methods. On 9 February, the USPO awarded the internet giant a patent for a self-driving parcel delivery truck.
