Design firm argodesign has come up with a conceptual model for a one-person ambulance drone modelled on a quad-copter, that could be dispatched to emergency scenes and land almost anywhere.
As conceived the craft would be the size of a small car.
The idea was born from a team brainstorming session around how health care could become more accessible. The designers first thought about how they could build a better ambulance, and the rise of autonomous vehicles inspired them to consider a self-driving ambulance. Then they thought of helicopters and drones, and the rest developed from there.
“Obviously, it’s not a thoroughly vetted concept, but I think it’s extremely intriguing where drones might show up,” Mark Rolston, founder of argodesign, said. “It would be nice to see them used this way, rather than another military function or more photography.”
Designer Daily raises some issues that would have to be solved for the vehicle to be practical.
… there are tons of practical issues that need to be fixed before even thinking of using it. For example, this concept is made to have only room for the injured person, which is a terrible thing. In many cases, the person will need qualified medical people to take care of him during the trip to the hospital, this makes it impossible.
Originally published by Cosmos as Drones to the rescue? Concept ambulance takes inspiration from the quad-copter
Bill Condie
Bill Condie is a science journalist based in Adelaide, Australia.
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