Emergency Medical Drone First Aid Supply System
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ZEN
Innovation Fest 2025
About ZEN
UN SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Empowered and Driven:
Delivering Solutions for Global Issues
01. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being
Target: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages (e.g., Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage).
Description: The drone improves access to timely medical care by delivering first aid kits and essential supplies within 15 minutes, reducing response times in emergencies (e.g., accidents, cardiac arrests). This supports universal health coverage by reaching underserved rural areas and urban zones where ambulances face delays, potentially saving lives and enhancing well-being.
02. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Target: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation (e.g., Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research and technological capabilities).
Description: The drone represents an innovative use of technology, integrating advanced navigation, obstacle avoidance, and thermal imaging into a compact, affordable system. By developing this prototype, your team fosters scientific research and creates resilient infrastructure for emergency response, paving the way for scalable, sustainable drone-based solutions.
03. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
Target: Reduce income inequalities and ensure equal opportunities (e.g., Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all).
Description: By targeting rural healthcare providers and remote communities, the drone reduces disparities in healthcare access between urban and rural populations. It empowers marginalized groups by providing equal opportunities for timely medical intervention, regardless of geographic or economic barriers.
04. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Target: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable (e.g., Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse environmental impact of cities).
Description: In urban areas with traffic congestion, the drone enhances safety and resilience by bypassing road delays to deliver aid. Its electric-powered design (5000mAh battery) minimizes carbon emissions compared to traditional vehicles, contributing to cleaner, more sustainable cities.
05. SDG 13: Climate Action
Target: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (e.g., Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness, and capacity on climate change mitigation).
Description: The drone’s low-energy, potentially solar-assisted operation reduces reliance on fossil fuel-based ambulances, lowering greenhouse gas emissions. By showcasing this technology, it raises awareness of sustainable alternatives in emergency response, supporting climate change mitigation efforts.
06. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Target: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize global partnerships (e.g., Target 17.17: Encourage effective public, private, and civil society partnerships).
Description: The drone fosters partnerships between emergency services (e.g., NHS, paramedics), government agencies, NGOs, and private entities. Collaborations with these stakeholders for testing, deployment, and funding align with the goal of building multi-sector alliances to achieve sustainable development.
THE STORY BEGAN
DESIGN STORY
Challenges
Challenges Encountered in the Emergency Medical Drone Project 01. Technical Integration Delays: Integrating multiple sensors (e.g., LiDAR, ultrasonic, thermal camera) with the flight control system (Pixhawk, Raspberry Pi) is proving complex, leading to unexpected software bugs or hardware compatibility issues, slowing prototype testing. Regulatory Compliance Uncertainty: Navigating UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations for drones (e.g., weight <25 kg, altitude <120m, beyond visual line of sight permissions) is challenging, with unclear timelines for permits delaying field tests. 02. Limited Budget Constraints: The £150–£200 prototype cost is tight, and unexpected expenses (e.g., spare parts, advanced sensors) risk budget overruns, especially without secured external funding beyond the initial £1000 grand in the form of equipment's and other hardware's. 03. Team Coordination Issues: With diverse skill sets (e.g., aerospace, software, business), aligning schedules and ensuring consistent communication among team members (e.g., Amogh, Anshita, Simranjit, Laura, Ebrima) is difficult, occasionally missing self-set deadlines. 04. Payload Delivery Precision: Achieving ±1-meter accuracy for the winch-based payload drop (2 kg capacity) is technically challenging, with tests showing variability due to wind or sensor drift, requiring further refinement. 05. Battery Endurance Limitations: The 5000mAh battery’s 30-minute flight time may fall short in real-world scenarios (e.g., rural distances), and optimizing power consumption or adding solar assistance is proving time-intensive. 06. Market Acceptance Risks: Convincing primary customers (e.g., NHS, paramedics) to adopt an unproven drone system over traditional methods is slow, with skepticism about reliability and cost-effectiveness delaying partnerships. 07. Supply Chain Disruptions: Sourcing components (e.g., motors, sensors from AliExpress) faces delays due to shipping or availability issues, impacting the assembly timeline and testing schedule. 08. Weather Resilience Testing: Ensuring the drone operates effectively in adverse conditions (e.g., rain, winds up to 15 km/h) is proving difficult, with lab tests not fully replicating real-world environments, raising durability concerns. 09. Scalability and Production Costs: Transitioning from a £200 prototype to a £500 commercial unit while maintaining profitability is challenging, with potential increases in material or labor costs threatening the affordable pricing model.
Solution
01. Technical Integration Delays: Conduct modular testing of sensors and software separately before full integration. Allocate extra debugging time and use open-source forums for quick fixes. 02. Regulatory Compliance Uncertainty: Engage with the UK CAA early to clarify requirements and secure test permits. Partner with a regulatory consultant or university advisor for guidance. 03. Limited Budget Constraints: Seek additional funding through university grants or pitch to local EMS investors. Prioritize cost-effective components and bulk-order discounts from suppliers. 04. Team Coordination Issues: Implement a shared task management tool (e.g., Trello) and weekly check-ins. Assign backup roles to ensure overlap and support across tasks. 05. Payload Delivery Precision: Enhance winch calibration with real-time sensor feedback during test drops. Simulate wind conditions in controlled environments to adjust algorithms. Battery Endurance Limitations: 06. Optimize power usage by reducing sensor load during non-critical flight phases. Test lightweight solar panels as a supplementary power source. 07. Market Acceptance Risks: Offer free demo trials to EMS (e.g., NHS) to showcase reliability and impact. Highlight cost savings and social impact in targeted marketing materials. 08. Supply Chain Disruptions: Order critical components (e.g., motors, sensors) in advance from multiple vendors. Maintain a small inventory buffer to avoid production halts. 09. Weather Resilience Testing: Conduct outdoor tests in varied conditions (e.g., wind, rain) with university support. Add lightweight weatherproofing (e.g., coatings) to key components. 10. Scalability and Production Costs: Negotiate bulk pricing with suppliers as sales scale from prototype to commercial units. Streamline assembly with 3D-printed parts to keep costs below £500/unit.
Use Case
Use Case: Rural Road Accident Response Scenario ------On a remote rural road in the West Midlands, UK, a car collides with a tractor at 8:00 PM on a foggy evening in November 2025. The nearest ambulance is 40 minutes away due to narrow roads and distance from the closest hospital. One victim is bleeding heavily from a leg injury, and immediate first aid is critical to stabilize them before emergency services arrive. Actors Victim: Adult male, injured in the accident, requiring urgent medical supplies. Bystander: A passerby with a mobile phone who witnesses the crash. EMS Dispatcher: Emergency Medical Services operator coordinating the response. Team Zen Drone Operator: Local team member or automated system managing the drone. Use Case Description Trigger: The bystander dials 999, reporting the accident to the EMS dispatcher and providing the location via GPS coordinates from their phone. Activation: The dispatcher, recognizing the ambulance delay, activates the nearest Emergency Medical Drone stationed at a rural healthcare outpost 10 km away, pre-loaded with a 2 kg first aid kit (e.g., tourniquets, bandages, pain relief). Flight: The drone, equipped with GPS (±2m accuracy), thermal imaging, and obstacle avoidance (LiDAR/ultrasonic sensors), autonomously launches at 8:05 PM. It flies at 50 km/h, navigating fog and trees, using its thermal camera to pinpoint the victim’s heat signature. Delivery: Arriving at 8:12 PM (7 minutes flight time), the drone hovers at 20 meters, lowers the payload via its winch mechanism, and releases the kit within ±1 meter of the bystander. The bystander retrieves it and applies a tourniquet, guided by basic instructions included in the kit. Return: The drone activates its return-to-home feature, landing back at the outpost by 8:20 PM to recharge its 5000mAh battery and reload for the next mission. Outcome: The victim’s bleeding is controlled, stabilizing them until the ambulance arrives at 8:40 PM. The rapid intervention increases survival chances, reducing the risk of fatal blood loss. Key Features Utilized Autonomous Navigation: GPS and obstacle avoidance ensure safe, precise flight in low-visibility conditions. Thermal Imaging: Locates the victim in fog and darkness. Payload Delivery: Winch system delivers a 2 kg kit accurately from altitude. Speed: 7-minute delivery vs. 40-minute ambulance time. Impact Health: Saves a life by providing critical care 33 minutes faster than traditional methods. Sustainability: Electric-powered flight reduces emissions compared to a road vehicle. Equity: Bridges healthcare access gaps in rural areas, aligning with SDG 3 (Good Health) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
TECHNOLOGIES
List of Essential Tools and Technologies
THE PROCESS
PROTOTYPE DESIGN
The **Emergency Medical Drone First Aid Supply System** is an autonomous drone designed to deliver critical first aid kits and medical supplies to emergency scenes, remote areas, and traffic-congested urban zones where ambulances face delays. Weighing under 25 kg, the drone features a 3D-printed, lightweight frame powered by a 5000mAh battery, offering 30-minute flight endurance. It integrates advanced navigation with GPS (±2m accuracy), obstacle avoidance via LiDAR and ultrasonic sensors, and a thermal camera to locate victims in low-visibility conditions. The payload system, with a 2 kg capacity, uses a winch mechanism for precise (±1m) drops from 20 meters. Controlled by Pixhawk and Raspberry Pi, it runs Ardupilot and Python for autonomous flight and sensor processing, with Mission Planner enabling ground station oversight. Costing £150–£200 per prototype, it’s affordable for emergency services like the NHS, paramedics, and rural healthcare providers. The drone reduces response times from 30+ minutes to under 15, enhancing survival rates in accidents or disasters. Future upgrades include solar power and 4G connectivity, ensuring scalability and sustainability for widespread adoption.
Online Marketing
Creative agency
Web development
PLEDGE
Impact on the market
The Emergency Medical Drone First Aid Supply System has a transformative impact on the medical drone delivery market by addressing a critical gap in rapid, small-scale emergency response. Valued at $1.29 billion in 2022 and projected to reach $32.13 billion by 2030 (CAGR 46.8%), this market is driven by the need for swift healthcare solutions in urban and rural settings. Unlike competitors like Zipline (focused on large-scale blood delivery) or Wing (general goods), your drone targets immediate first aid delivery, reducing response times from 30+ minutes to under 15. Its affordable £150–£200 prototype cost and £500 commercial price make it accessible to emergency services (e.g., NHS, paramedics), rural healthcare providers, and NGOs, capturing a niche in the UK market (hundreds of units) with expansion potential to Europe and North America. Features like thermal imaging and obstacle avoidance enhance precision, setting a new standard for emergency drones. By saving lives, reducing healthcare disparities, and offering a sustainable, low-emission alternative to ambulances, it attracts investors with high social impact and scalability, potentially capturing 15% of the ``Others`` market segment while fostering partnerships with EMS and disaster relief organizations.
RESULTS
FINAL PRODUCT
The development process for the **Emergency Medical Drone First Aid Supply System** by Team Zen involves a structured, iterative approach to create an autonomous drone for rapid medical supply delivery. It begins with **conceptualization and design** (January), where the team defines requirements, sketches a 3D-printed frame, and orders components like Raspberry Pi, Pixhawk, and sensors (e.g., LiDAR, thermal camera). In **February**, assembly starts—integrating motors, propellers, and the 5000mAh battery—while marketing materials are developed to pitch to EMS. **March** focuses on sensor integration and basic flight testing, using Ardupilot and Python for autonomous navigation, alongside university promotions.
**April** refines flight control with obstacle avoidance, launching a social media campaign for EMS feedback.
In **May**, the team tests the 2 kg payload delivery system (winch mechanism) and optimizes battery life, producing demo videos.
**June** marks controlled environment tests with EMS partners, incorporating feedback to enhance reliability.
By **July**, advanced features like thermal imaging are added, and marketing targets rural hospitals.
**August–September** involve field tests in varied conditions (e.g., fog, wind), refining weather resilience, while partnerships with NGOs are explored.
In **October**, the prototype is finalized, with production feasibility studies ensuring scalability at £500/unit.
**November** focuses on regulatory compliance (e.g., CAA permits) and brand building through test result publications.
**December** prepares for commercialization, targeting 20 units/month sales to EMS, with maintenance and training programs planned.
This build-test-learn-refine cycle, supported by tools like Mission Planner and 3D printing, ensures the drone meets its goal of reducing emergency response times to under 15 minutes, delivering life-saving supplies with precision, and achieving market readiness through stakeholder collaboration and iterative improvements.
