Drone Delivery Canada successfully completes Phase Three of its ‘AED On The Fly’ project

November 10, 2020 | AUVSI News

On Nov. 6, Drone Delivery Canada successfully completed Phase Three of its Automated External Defibrillator (AED) On The Fly project with Peel Region Paramedic Services and Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine.

DDC announced 100 percent successful Phase One and Phase Two testing in June 2019 and July 2020, respectively. During Phase Three, the Sparrow drone, with its cargo drop capability and audio announcement system, was utilized to drop an AED where a designated untrained (lay) bystander would then retrieve the AED and apply it to a simulated cardiac arrest patient in a rural environment. 

During testing, response time to drop, retrieve and apply an AED, and physiological and psychological human factors in a stressful situation were all measured.

Remote launch and monitoring from DDC’s Vaughan, Ontario Operations Control Centre (OCC), and nighttime delivery of an AED by drone were also successfully tested. According to DDC, the testing validated that response time to cardiac arrest patients in the field may be reduced using the company’s proprietary drone delivery platform with cargo drop functionality to deliver rapid first responder technology via drone that could be used by lay responders.

Simulated 911 call locations were electronically sent to the DDC’s OCC for drone launch. The Sparrow drone flew automatically from a Peel Paramedic station in Caledon, Ontario to the destination and back. Using DDC’s proprietary FLYTE software system, real-time remote monitoring occurred from DDC’s OCC.

Round-trip flight distance was approximately 12 kilometers. The AED drone had a shorter travel time compared to a land-based vehicle, which is a major factor in responding to a cardiac arrest.

“This partnership between DDC, Peel Regional Paramedic Services and Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine is groundbreaking. This innovative program utilizes DDC’s proprietary drone logistics platform to deliver rapid first responder technology via DDC’s Sparrow drone with the goal to reduce response time and potentially save lives,” explains Michael Zahra, president & CEO of Drone Delivery Canada.

“The new aspects tested in Phase Three further demonstrate the viability of our solution.  The Company thanks all participants and funders.”