The newest aide to coronavirus detection: a pandemic drone

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with information regarding the first scheduled flight for the pandemic drone

WASHINGTON — To combat the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, a newly-developed “pandemic drone” will remotely monitor and detect infectious and respiratory conditions to slow the spread of the virus.

The drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), will be equipped with a specialized sensor and existing camera networks that will monitor temperature, heart and respiratory rates, and will detect people sneezing or coughing in crowds, airlines, cruise ships and any other spaces where people may gather together, according to a March 26 announcement. 

The humanitarian-response drones, developed in partnership between Draganfly and the University of South Australia, will also scan crowds and distinguish potential at-risk groups, including seniors in care facilities. 

“We had imagined the technology being used in a future relief expedition to some far-away place,” said Javaan Chahl, Defense Science and Technology Chair at the University of South Australia. “Now, shockingly, we see a need for its use in our everyday lives immediately. Draganfly’s industrial know-how is quickly helping us ensure our research can save lives.”

Under the exclusive $1.5 million contract, Draganfly will use its engineering, integration and distribution expertise to secure a supply chain to deploy the health diagnosis technology immediately.

The drones will be part of the Vital Intelligence Project, a health and respiratory monitoring platform involving repurposing existing technology to detect infectious and respiratory conditions.

“With fighting epidemics rising as a global priority, new versatile technologies, such as humanitarian mission UAVs, are immediately needed to detect and track outbreaks so that critical interventions can be deployed sooner and with greater effectiveness,” said Jack Chow, advisor to the Vital Intelligence Project and former first Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization.

The pandemic drone will carry out its first series of test flights in Westport, Connecticut, as the area is a COVID-19 hotspot, Draganfly announced April 21. The drone will be tested by the Westport Police Department as a new “Flatten the Curve Pilot Program,” and will use the technology to help protect potential at-risk groups, crowds gathering at the town and state-owned beaches, train stations, and other areas where people tend to gather.

“This technology not only enhances the safety of our officers and the public, but the concept of using drones remains a go-to technology for reaching the most remote areas with little to no manpower needed,” said Westport Chief of Police Foti Koskinas.

In China, drones were used to enforce self-isolation, equipping them with speakers used to remind lockdown measures in public spaces. In France, police have used drone-collected surveillance footage to identify people breaking the confinement laws. 

But not all countries use drones with policing goals. In India, drones are used to spray open areas with disinfectant and, in some cases, deliver medicine.

See how the Draganfly drone’s camera detects body temperature, heart and respiration rate, and if a person is coughing below: