Enhancing Local Healthcare: LieferMichel Project Expands Drone Deliveries to Include Medicines
Drone Deliveries Expand to Include Medicines in LieferMichel Project
Residents of Michelstadt served by Wingcopter‘s LieferMichel pilot project are set to benefit from an extension of services, as non-prescription medicines are now included in the project’s offerings.
The project, which continues until the end of March, aims to achieve key objectives related to safe drone flight operations in unrestricted airspace, even during winter months. Additionally, it seeks to analyze the demand for delivery services in rural areas over an extended timeframe.
As part of the expansion, the local Bären-Apotheke pharmacy has integrated into the LieferMichel platform, offering a selection of non-prescription medicines. This addition complements the existing range of goods available from the local REWE center, Odenwaldbox, and SV Darmstadt 98 fan merchandise.
Frank Buffleb, pharmacist and owner of Bären Apotheke in Erbach, expresses enthusiasm about the project’s potential impact on local supply options. “Here in rural areas, the long distances often make it difficult for sick people to get their medication quickly. We are therefore very pleased to be gaining initial experience with drone-based deliveries as part of the LieferMichel project.”
Ansgar Kadura, co-founder and Chief Services Officer of Wingcopter, notes the significance of delivering medicines directly to end customers. “This is an exciting learning experience and an important milestone in this project,” he adds.
The LieferMichel project, a collaboration between Wingcopter and the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), aims to test the use of new technologies in regular operations. Residents in the Michelstadt districts of Würzberg and Rehbach can order various products online through www.liefermichel.de and have them delivered by Wingcopter delivery drones to fixed landing points outside the villages. The last few meters to the customer’s front door are covered by electric cargo bikes, ensuring a convenient, quick, and emission-free delivery process.
Prof. Dr. Kai-Oliver Schocke, President of the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, highlights the expansion of services as an indication of the project’s attractiveness and the demand for individual services in the sector.
Wingcopter, a German manufacturer of unmanned, all-electric delivery drones, specializes in enhancing medical supply chains and logistics for urgently needed goods. The company’s patented tilt-rotor mechanism and proprietary software algorithms enable efficient vertical takeoff and landing, along with long-distance flight capabilities.
With over 2,000 kilometers flown to date, the LieferMichel project involves collaboration with project partners Vodafone and Riese & Müller. Wingcopter’s investors include the European Investment Bank, REWE Group, Salvia, XAI technologies, and others.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
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