Grant: College & Community Social Innovation Fund
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
$120,000.00
Medical Supply Delivery Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
FY 2024-25
Summary
The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) supports innovation and new technology development through its Applied Research and Innovation Services department (ARIS) and its Centre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems (CIRUS). This cross-disciplinary environment addresses challenges, creates efficiencies, and develops and tests new, innovative products and applications to satisfy corporate business needs and the societal needs of all Canadians.
The Medical Delivery Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles project will develop a roadmap for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)-based medical delivery operations with a focus on and incorporation of the Nakoda (Stoney), Eden Valley and Big Horn First Nation communities. SAIT will use its Swiss Drone SDO50, a remotely piloted state of the art helicopter with 45 kg payload capacity, a range of more than 300 kilometers and a Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) fixed wing RPA to complete the project. At the conclusion of this project, it will transition into a fully operational RPAS-based medical delivery program for any First Nation community in Alberta, in Canada, or international setting to support optimal healthcare for those in remote communities.
Establishing a partnership with Stoney Nakoda Nation and the Ward of the 21st Century (W21C), a healthcare systems research and innovation initiative based at the University of Calgary's O'Brien Institute for Public Health, researchers at SAIT and the team will test and develop methodology for the utilization of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) to deliver medical supplies and live non-infectious viral loads to and from First Nation Communities and to the Provincial Laboratory (Provlab).
SAIT is well-positioned to support societal needs and explicitly assist vulnerable populations. Assistance in maintaining an adequate chain of medical supplies and distribution is paramount, made even more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is extremely applicable to remote First Nation communities.
Program
College & Community Social Innovation Fund
Location
Alberta, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
CCSIF-2022-00368
Name nom
Hawkins, Wade
Department département
Applied Research & Innovation Services - Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
Organization id
10
Institution établissement
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
Province en
Alberta
Province fr
Alberta
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2024
Competition year année de concours
2022
Award amount
120000
Program id
CCSIF
Program name en
College & Community Social Innovation Fund
Program name fr
Programme d'innovation dans les collèges et la communauté - Fonds d'innovation sociale
Group en
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Group fr
PARTENARIATS DE RECHERCHE
Committee code
CCSIF-2024
Committee name en
CCSIF Review Committee
Committee name fr
Comité d’évaluation FISCC
Area of application code
9999
Area of application group en
Not available
Area of application group fr
Non disponible
Area of application en
Not available
Area of application fr
Non disponible
Research subject code
9999
Research subject group en
Not available
Research subject group fr
Non disponible
Research subject en
Not available
Research subject fr
Non disponible
Field of research list codes
RDF2040104
Field of research list names en
Aircraft performance and flight control systems
Field of research list names fr
Performance des aéronefs et systèmes de commande de vol
Socioeconomic objective list codes
RDS10704
Socioeconomic objective list names en
Specific population health
Socioeconomic objective list names fr
Santé de populations précises
Application title
Medical Supply Delivery Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Keywords
Remote Piloted Aircraft System; Drone Medical Delivery; COVID-19; Remote Ultrasound ; Beyond Visual Line of Sight; remote population health
Application summary
The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) supports innovation and new technology development through its Applied Research and Innovation Services department (ARIS) and its Centre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems (CIRUS). This cross-disciplinary environment addresses challenges, creates efficiencies, and develops and tests new, innovative products and applications to satisfy corporate business needs and the societal needs of all Canadians.
The Medical Delivery Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles project will develop a roadmap for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)-based medical delivery operations with a focus on and incorporation of the Nakoda (Stoney), Eden Valley and Big Horn First Nation communities. SAIT will use its Swiss Drone SDO50, a remotely piloted state of the art helicopter with 45 kg payload capacity, a range of more than 300 kilometers and a Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) fixed wing RPA to complete the project. At the conclusion of this project, it will transition into a fully operational RPAS-based medical delivery program for any First Nation community in Alberta, in Canada, or international setting to support optimal healthcare for those in remote communities.
Establishing a partnership with Stoney Nakoda Nation and the Ward of the 21st Century (W21C), a healthcare systems research and innovation initiative based at the University of Calgary's O'Brien Institute for Public Health, researchers at SAIT and the team will test and develop methodology for the utilization of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) to deliver medical supplies and live non-infectious viral loads to and from First Nation Communities and to the Provincial Laboratory (Provlab).
SAIT is well-positioned to support societal needs and explicitly assist vulnerable populations. Assistance in maintaining an adequate chain of medical supplies and distribution is paramount, made even more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is extremely applicable to remote First Nation communities.
