TOKYO (AP) – Zipline, an American company specializing in using autonomous flying drones for medical supplies, has landed in Japan.
They have been flying since Thursday, from the small Goto Islands off the west coast of Kyushu in southwestern Japan, to pharmacies and hospitals.
Other parts of Japan may follow along with urban areas, although the greatest needs are in separate rural areas.
Founded six years ago, Zipline already has a U.S. presence. Is in service, where it has partnered with Walmart Inc. to distribute retail chains as well as Medicines. It also distributes medical supplies in Ghana and Rwanda.
Its takeoff Toyota Tsusho in Japan is partnered with a group of top automaker Toyota Motor Corp in Japan.
Keller Renaudo, chief executive of Zipline, told the Associated Press:
Although drones were used in Japan for photography and aerial exhibitions, such as the Tokyo Olympics last year, they are not widely used, especially in urban areas, due to regulations. It remains to be seen whether Zipline’s healthcare will help defeat the suspects
Renaudo was optimistic that the technology would be adopted in a nation known for its robotics prowess, with a large elderly population but the need for better health care in isolated areas.
The focus is on medical services because “before that there was a real moral imperative to get that right,” he said.
“The value of community service will be deeply understood. And while each flight was potentially saving human lives, it was also easier to make regulators comfortable with what we were doing, “said Renaudo.
Helps reduce service stocks and potentially waste by delivering precise medicine. According to Zipline in southern San Francisco, California, zero-emission quiet flights can go up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) and are cheaper than other modes of transportation.
The epidemic coronavirus has suppressed vaccine delivery more than ever before, Renaudo said. Blood supply, insulin and cancer treatments have also been delivered by zipline drones.
A subsidiary called Sora-iina will operate from the port of Fukui on the island of Goto to manage the delivery center and flight services. It is the first distribution center in Asia and the 14th in the world to operate Zipline’s “autonomous instant logistics” technology. Three major Japanese distributors of pharmaceuticals have agreed to be partners.