Swiss Post planning to use drones for lab sample deliveries

Swiss Post, the Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC) hospital group in the canton of Ticino and drone manufacturer Matternet are introducing a commerce service which will use delivery drones to regularly carry lab samples between two hospitals in Lugano. The Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) will be inspecting the drones and the first test flights are scheduled to take place this month.

In a statement issued yesterday (14 March), Swiss Post added: “As soon as the relevant approvals have been obtained, the three partners will be presenting the project in detail at a media event.”

Swiss Post first tested the use of drones in logistics together with Matternet in the summer of 2015.  The postal operator said it is now “going one step further” by starting a test phase for the first commercial use with the EOC hospital group. The drones will be carryng samples between the “Ospedale Italiano” and the “Ospedale Civico”.

Swiss Post believes that the drones could be in regular use between the two hospitals from 2018.

“Until then,” said Swiss Post, “the drones must prove that they meet strict safety, practicality and reliability requirements.”