AT&T, Softbox and Merck test drone technology for emergency situations in Puerto Rico

Connectivity giant AT&T has collaborated with UK pharmaceutical packaging provider Softbox to explore the potential of medical drone deliveries. AT&T’s LTE-connected drone has been ferrying Softbox’s thermal packaging system, ‘Skypod’, with medicines from healthcare provider Merck to locations across Puerto Rico. The proof of concept with Softbox aims to show how temperature-sensitive medicines can be transported using drones in disaster and emergency situations – in a manner that is already occurring elsewhere in the world, including Zipline’s projects in Africa and Matternet’s applications in Switzerland.

AT&T’s IoT technology tracks the Skypod with data viewed on a web and mobile app dashboard. The data includes near-real time external and internal temperatures of the box and its location. Light exposure data helps signal if there is box tampering during daylight, by determining if the box is open or closed. The dashboard app will flash alerts to help drive appropriate action. For example, it will send an alert if there is a change to the temperature range of 2°C to 8°C. It will also send an alert if the drone goes outside of defined geofencing parameters.

https://dronelife.com/2018/08/28/att-softbox-merck-drone-tech-puerto-rico-medical-delivery/