By Mal Butler
Drones delivering critical medical supplies to the Island could be a vision of the future.
A sensor network, developed and delivered in partnership with the University of Southampton, and using small sensors, has been installed at locations across the mainland, in Ryde and in Cowes. They will monitor and record all air traffic until September 2025.
The project is being developed by the Drones for Medical Logistics with the hope that, in the future, drones will be flown from the mainland to the Island, avoiding the costs of transport and waiting times involving the ferries.
A spokesman for Solent Transport confirmed to the IW Observer: “Using drones to deliver critical medical supplies, between the mainland and the Isle of Wight, remains the vision of Solent Transport’s Drones for Medical Logistics project. But before this can become a reality, there are many challenges to overcome, one of which is gaining a better understanding of airspace use across the Solent.
“A significant proportion of air traffic, for example, gliders and paragliders, does not provide a live indication of its location to other airspace users. If future drone deliveries for the NHS are to operate safely, this must be better understood.
“The period of data collection through 2025 improves our understanding of airspace use and overcomes the first of many challenges involved in delivering both improved logistics efficiency for the NHS and improved care for patients on the Island.”
The Drones for Medical Logistics project is part of the Solent Future Transport Zone, and funded directly by the Department for Transport. The scheme has been contracted to LiveLink Aerospace, run by David Houghton, who is setting up the sensor network along with AC Electrical Contractors IW Ltd, based at Whiteley Bank, near Godshill, and operated by Adam Cross.
The sensors cover a variety of locations including Ryde and Southsea Hover terminals as well as Cowes, East Cowes, Ryde and Gosport Fire Stations and the installation includes specialist equipment, high-spec cameras, radars, signal boosters and monitoring equipment.
It is not related to the controversial drone scheme that was intended to operate from Mornington Road car park in Cowes.
Isle of Wight Observer