InDro partners with Montreal’s Chaac on landmine detection project

InDro partners with Montreal’s Chaac on landmine detection project

Sep 4, 2025 | Drones for good, InDro News, Innovation, Photogrammetry, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

On a recent day, small green pieces of plastic were scattered randomly across a road at Ottawa’s Area X.O.

They looked harmless. To a child, they might even look like a toy. But these are replicas of a Russian-made landmine known as the PFM-1. They are designed to maim, and will easily blow off a foot or hand if disturbed.

That’s what happened to a Ukrainian boy named Yaroslav in October of 2023. This UNICEF article outlines his injury – which took off the lower part of his right leg. Some children have been killed by these devices, which contain 37g (1.3 oz) of VS-6D or VS-60D liquid explosive.

The mines are banned by a 1997 agreement known as the Ottawa Convention or the Ottawa Treaty. But Russia, the United States and China did not sign the treaty. Ukraine ratified the convention in 2005, but in late June of 2025 issued a decree to withdraw from the agreement, stating that because Russia was deploying mines in the current conflict it had an unfair advantage.

Despite initially signing the agreement, in 2021 it was estimated Ukraine had a stockpile of 3.3M of the devices. Untold numbers of PFM-1s are scattered in the Ukrainian and Russian countryside, dispersed by planes or mortar. Their design allows them to spiral to the ground much like a maple seed.

“After years of war, Ukraine is now one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world,” states the UNICEF article. “The ongoing fighting has left nearly a third of the country contaminated with landmines and other explosive ordnance, threatening the daily lives of children and families.”

And that, ultimately, is why these harmless replica mines – which look identical to the real thing – have been scattered at Area X.O. They’ve been placed to see if they can be identified and mapped autonomously for the purpose of destruction.

“There’s been a concerted effort by many to figure out a way to remove these from any former battlefield. So that’s why we’re involved with this project,” explains Maxime Phaneuf, Head of R&D with CHAAC technologies.

“We figured this would be a good use-case to try and do feature detection and to train a neural network to find them.”

Above: Chaac’s Maxime Phaneuf (R), with InDro Technologist Tirth Gajera, overseeing a demo. Below: One of the 3D-printed replica PFM-1s used in the project

 
Chaac Mine detection demo Area X.O PFM-1

THE PROJECT

 

The genesis for this project came from a request for proposals from Innovative Solutions Canada. The agency was looking for companies that could leverage technology for field detection – identifying objects of interest automatically. A Montreal-based company specialising in data, Chaac Technologies, was selected.

With a successful proposal, along with subsequent discussions with the Testing Department from the Department of National Defence, it was determined that a specific application – identifying PFM-1 mines – would be useful. And then Chaac got to work.

The goal was to create software, a neural network with embedded machine vision, that could identify these small devices on the ground automatically and with a high detection rate. Chaac got to work on the programming, but needed a partner with drone and ground robot expertise. The drone would be used to capture aerial photos.

The Chaac software, which had been trained to identify PFM-1s by learning what they looked like in various positions on the ground, would automatically ingest those photographs and stitch them together into a single photogrammetric image. The software would then identify and mark each of those landmines on an orthomosaic – an image that’s geometrically corrected and georeferenced. The result is a map that highlights the location of each landmine, along with a score indicating how confident the neural network is that each feature is indeed a PFM-1. That data is then transferred to an InDro ground robot, which then autonomously navigates to each of the landmines.

“From drone to final map, it’s a fully automated workflow,” says Phaneuf. “That’s our innovation.”

Chaac has named the software SHIELDS – Secured Hazard Identification and Environmental Landmark Discovery System.

“We have a consistent detection rate of between 80 and 90 per cent,” explains Phaneuf. And while landmines are the focus, the software could be applied to any feature detection. “This particular system, we can use to discover any landmark as long as we train the neural network accordingly.”

Below: An InDro-modified drone autonomously captures data from above, sending it directly to Chaac’s neural network software for object identification and precision mapping. Our Sentinel inspection robot then confirms the data by autonomously driving to each detected PFM-1.

Chaac Mine detection demo Area X.O Drone
Chaac Mine detection demo Area X.O Sentinel

THE INDRO CONNECTION

 

The necessity for a drone and UGV (Uncrewed Ground Vehicle) is what brought Chaac to get in touch with InDro.

“One of the requirements of this project was to have Canadian-owned and operated hardware, not like DJI drones from China. And so we partnered with Indro,” says Phaneuf.

InDro built two Open-Source RTK drones operating with ROS2 (Robot Operating System), which will be delivered to the Department of National Defence as part of the contract. Our third-generation Sentinel UGV, also with RTK, is used as the ground robot. In a real-world deployment, the UGV could be used to detonate the mines, either by driving over them with a hardened shell, or with some other attachment that could trigger the devices.

And the next step for Chaac? Since the company has shown it can detect very small objects, Phaneuf anticipates DND might ask for detection of something else – say, vehicles for example. Chaac hopes its PFM-1 SHIELDS detection system will make it into the real world.

“I would be very happy if we can save some lives with this project and deploy it in in the Ukraine, or maybe after the war in Russia,” says Phaneuf. “We have hopes that this project will bear fruit and can be deployed in an actual combat or post-battlefield situation.”

We share that view.

Below: Chaac CEO Guillaume Nepveu explains the project during a recent episode of our Sound Byte micro-podcast

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We are pleased to have been brought in as a partner by Chaac on this project. As an R&D company specialising in UGVs and UAVs, it was a perfect fit. We also applaud the use-case, and hope Chaac’s SHIELDS system can one day be used to detect and destroy PFM-1s or other surface landmines.

“Landmines, sadly, continue to pose a threat to soldiers and civilians in many parts of the world,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “There’s no question technology can be, and has been, used to great effect to neutralise this threat. Chaac’s machine vision/neural network approach is a perfect example of combining cutting-edge software and hardware together with a single and positive goal. We look forward to seeing the next steps.”

We’ll keep you updated.

New research on urban wind turbulence released; InDro assists with research

New research on urban wind turbulence released; InDro assists with research

Aug 25, 2025 | InDro News, Industry News, National Research Council, Transport Canada

By Scott Simmie

 

Flying a drone in congested urban centres is tricky.

Not only does the operator have to be aware of buildings, low-flying helicopters and people and property on the ground, but on many days there’s an unseen force at work that can cause havoc for safe RPAS flight: Wind. Specifically, the turbulence, wind tunnels and even wind shear that can be created when wind passes between and over buildings.

“Urban environments create a variety of exacerbated micro-level wind effects including shear, turbulence and eddies around buildings. These effects can locally increase reported wind speeds by up to 50 per cent,” says Dr. Eric Saczuk, InDro’s Flight Operations Lead and head of RPAS Operations at the BC Institute of Technology.

Routine drone flights in dense urban centres are clearly part of the future. That’s why a long-term study into how wind behaves in such settings has been underway, with funding from the Transport Canada RPAS Task Force (now absorbed into a broader Strategy and Emerging Technologies (SET) Branch and the National Research Council (NRC) Integrated Aerial Mobility Program. Now, a scientific research paper has been published on the preliminary findings – with more research to come.

And the InDro connection? InDro Chief Pilot Dr. Saczuk has been overseeing these flights – with more to come on the immediate horizon. On previous missions, the drone was equipped with an AVSS parachute and a wishbone-like device that carried two precision sonic anemometers positioned to capture windspeed data from different angles. That georeferenced data determines not only the speed and turbulence of the wind, but also the precise direction (and changes in direction, including wind shear) as the drone passes over what could be called an urban wind canyon.

Below: A DJI M300 drone, equipped with additional sensors, during 2023 research. Anemometers are mounted on the end of that wishbone-like brace, with each positioned to capture wind data from different directions

NRC Wind Tunnel Eric

THE RESEARCH – AND THE PAPER

 

The first phase of this ongoing project involved two very distinct procedures. One involved the drone flights, which included not only navigating wind-tunnel corridors in urban Montreal, but also hovering for periods at specific spots over and adjacent to buildings. Separate anemometers were affixed to the buildings themselves and the data was compared.

The second part took place in the NRC’s wind tunnel. There, a 1:300 scale model of the urban environment the drone flew in was assembled and placed in the tunnel. Measurements were made at various controlled windspeeds. The data from each was then compared for consistency.

The ultimate goal, for this phase of the research, is to be determine whether accurate predictive analytic models could be created that could be used when planning RPAS flights. The research might uncover, for instance, that general wind speeds within the flight parameters of a given RPAS might exceed those limits when passing around and over buildings, resulting in turbulence that would be unsafe for a mission to proceed. Such models will be immensely useful as urban RPAS flights become more routine.

But the first phase was simply to see if the data captured by the drone was in sync with the data produced in the wind tunnel testing.

“The goal of the overall study was to acquire urban-airflow data in a real environment in order to validate equivalent airflow characteristics from model-scale testing,” states the paper.

“The field test was designed to measure urban airflow characteristics using anemometers mounted on a small RPAS. The RPAS was flown along various flight paths in downtown Montréal in 2023. Following the field test, airflow measurements were taken at the equivalent spatial locations in a wind tunnel using a 1:300-scale model of the same test site. Data-processing routines for the RPAS airflow measurements included accounting for the body-motion of the vehicle and applying custom calibration equations for the RPAS-mounted sonic anemometers.”

 

THE RESULTS

 

The data obtained by the drone compared favourably with the scale-model tests carried out in the wind tunnel. In other words, the data indicates it may be possible to produce reliable, predictive models of various urban centres by testing scale models within the wind tunnel itself. Eventually, this research could potentially indicate specific locations in cities where turbulence is of particular concern for RPAS flights.

As the report states: “The distribution of mean flow speed and turbulence intensity from the field test compared well with the wind-tunnel results, including the shape of the distribution and location of the maxima. Additionally, the variation in flow characteristics along a flight path, such as mean flow speed and turbulence intensity, compared favourably with wind-tunnel results acquired at the same relative locations. This work demonstrates the suitability of model-scale testing for studying urban flow fields.”

Below: Carrying out research flights in Montreal in the summer of 2023, followed by an in-flight screen capture

NRC Urban Wind Tunnel Eric
NRC Urban Wind Tunnel Eric

INDRO’S TAKE

 

This is complex research, and these are complex missions to fly. We are pleased to have other partners on board in this research, including McGill University, Place Ville Marie, Îlot Balmoral, Maison du Développement Durable, Hôpital général de Montréal, and the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal.

“InDro is pleased to be part of this critical research, which will help ensure safe flights in turbulent urban environments – including models that may one day predict when and where it’s unsafe to carry out missions,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “Of course, there are other challenges flying in cities – including the potential impact of a constellation of RF signals that could interfere with C2 links. We look forward to the next phase of this project.”

This research is ongoing and we have more flights planned in Montreal later in September.

It’s also worth noting we have barely scratched the surface of this exhaustive research paper. For those interested in a more in-depth explanation – along with plenty of data visualisations – you’ll find it here. You can also check out our 2023 flight in this post.

InDro and partners advance AED drone delivery research

InDro and partners advance AED drone delivery research

Aug 18, 2025 | Drones for good, In the media, InDro News

By Scott Simmie

 

When someone goes into cardiac arrest, literally every second counts.

The chances of survival drop by between seven and 10 per cent for each minute that passes between the event and resuscitation. So getting an Automated External Defibrillator to the scene as quickly as possible can, literally, mean the difference between life and death.

Back in 2018, InDro partnered with the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service and Dr. Sheldon Cheskes, Affiliate scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, in the Schulich Heart Research Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, to carry out field research that compares the speed of delivering an AED via drone versus ground-based EMS. We have also worked with Peel Regional Paramedic Services on these trials.

Research was well underway, with multiple successful trials, when the pandemic hit and the project was paused. It has now resumed, and was recently featured in this news article.

Below: A video showing one of our test trials, where we lowered an AED kit at a precise location via winch

THE BENEFITS

 

The benefits are clear: The faster you can get an AED to a cardiac arrest victim, the more likely they are to survive. In multiple trials we worked with the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service to compare the speed of drone delivery with that of ground-based EMS. A simulated emergency call was placed, and the paramedics hit the road at speed. At the same time, we dispatched a drone carrying an AED.

The drone was faster – as it can head directly to the scene as the crow flies. This is particularly important in rural and remote settings, where roads only rarely present a direct route to the target destination.

In fact, Dr, Sheldon Cheskes and colleagues have been carrying out research to determine the feasibility of AED delivery by drone and have published papers in peer-reviewed journals.

In a 2020 research paper published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, they wrote about the results of six simulations in two rural areas. In one of those tests, the distance ground EMS had to travel was 20 kilometres, versus nine kilometres for the drone.

“During each flight, the AED drone arrived on scene before the ambulance, between 1.8 and 8.0 minutes faster,” they wrote. “This study suggests AED drone delivery is feasible, with the potential for improvements in response time during simulated sudden cardiac arrest scenarios.”

 

THE CHALLENGES

 

Getting the drone to the precise location is no problem. In fact, a 911 call contains the coordinates where the drone must be dispatched to – and that data can be automatically integrated into our flight planning software.

But because speed is of the essence, the research is also exploring how to most quickly get the AED from the drone into the hands of those awaiting the device on the ground. Is it faster to land the drone? Drop the device in a well-padded enclosure from a low height? Land and disarm the drone?

Then there’s the issue of instructing the Good Samaritans on the ground on how to effectively use the AED. In one of our trials, a cellphone was included with the AED. That cellphone was preset to a live video call with a First Responder. The moment someone opened the package, there was a professional on the other end who could offer instructions.

Below: Television coverage of when InDro first began exploring drone delivery of AED – all the way back in 2014

 

INDRO’S TAKE

 

As you just saw, we actually explored this use-case on Salt Spring Island long before the pilot project, with some tests back in 2014. So we could see the benefits of this use-case early on. Drone technology has improved immensely since then – meaning we can fly greater distances at greater speeds.

“We are immensely pleased to see this research get back underway after the pause forced by the pandemic,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “We’re also in a position now where we can explore using fixed-wing VTOL for greater speed and integrate more robust command and control protocols. Our ultimate, long-term vision includes the potential for a series of strategically placed docks in rural areas that contain drones and AEDs that can be automatically and autonomously dispatched the moment that 911 call comes in.”

We look forward to updating you after the next trial.

JR Hammond and CAAM advocate the path toward Canada’s Advanced Air Mobility future

JR Hammond and CAAM advocate the path toward Canada’s Advanced Air Mobility future

Jul 23, 2025 | Advanced Air Mobility, CAAM, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

The world of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is coming. Transformative and sustainable aircraft capable of carrying passengers and goods are being flight-tested daily by industry leaders like Joby Aviation, Archer and Wisk.

Machines like these – with fixed-wing eVTOL being the most popular design – will one day routinely shuttle goods, services and people over congested cities (Urban Air Mobility). They will also play an important role with Regional Air Mobility, offering access to communities that lack the demand or infrastructure for traditional aviation. Most designs are electric or hybrid, with an emphasis on sustainability.

This brave new aerospace world isn’t going to arrive overnight. There’s the question of certification, ensuring these aircraft meet demanding safety and other criteria. There’s also the challenge of determining how to safely integrate these machines within existing aviation airspace. Plus, there are questions around use-cases – how these technologies can be deployed in the most beneficial and efficient ways. Is an Air Taxi service better than delivering medical supplies? Might one aircraft carry out multiple roles?

These are big questions. But there’s an organisation, Canadian Advanced Air Mobility (CAAM), working closely with companies, regulators and other partners to help chart the path and speak with a unified voice on behalf of the industry. We caught up with CAAM’s Executive Director, JR Hammond, to learn more about what it does – and why it’s so important this body exists.

Above: Wisk’s autonomous eVTOL. Below: CAAM’s JR Hammond

JR Hammond

WHAT IS CAAM?

 

That was the first question we put to JR Hammond. Here’s his answer:

“Canadian Advanced Air Mobility is the national industry association here in Canada that brings together our industry, academic and government (partners) all around the momentum of trying to expedite the operations of these new AAM aircraft in the country of Canada,” he said.

Given the rapid development of these innovative aircraft, in conjunction with the push toward a more sustainable future, CAAM is arguably the right organisation at the right time: We are truly on the cusp of an inflection point in the evolution of aviation.

The roots of CAAM go back to 2018, when JR attended the Uber Elevate Summit in Los Angeles. Some 750 experts, manufacturers and regulators got together to discuss the potential of new eVTOL aircraft. A White Paper was unveiled, with the emphasis on the Air Taxi model.

Hammond wanted to get involved. There were some openings in the field, but they all seemed to require aerospace PhDs and US citizenship. JR didn’t tick any of those boxes but was passionate. He started to envision broader implications on the horizon – and the need for a national AAM organization in Canada.

And so, as an entrepreneur, he decided to create one.

JR returned from that conference and wrote up a business plan – which he pitched far and wide. One person, Eric Lefebvre (then Director of Business and Strategy Development with the National Research Council’s aerospace division) immediately understood the pitch and co-founded CAAM with Hammond. So that’s the origin story in a nutshell.

Since then, the concept of use-cases has broadened far beyond Air Taxis. And it’s that broader potential that really excites JR. He envisions moving critical medical supplies, people, and other goods and services. And not only in congested urban settings – but also serving regions and remote communities underserved by traditional aviation.

“The key language that we like to use is it’s not replacing any of our ground transportation, it’s actually complementing… especially outside of our dense urban city centres moving people, goods and services back and forth,” he says.

“What we know for sure is that Canada does not have the economic or population density to support that Air Taxi concept as our go-to-market strategy. We need to find some of those near-term cargo medical movement opportunities that have high value and high impact for go-to-market and then allow the ecosystem to expand.”

Below: A graphic from the CAAM website explains its purpose/vision

CAAM purpose

WAIT, THERE’S MORE

 

In addition to working closely with industry, regulators and academia, the organisation also works hard at developing  connections. Early in 2025, CAAM hosted a highly successful trade mission to California, where participants were able to tour cutting-edge AAM facilities and engage with industry leaders.

“We are really leaning in to how we connect Canadian champions with some of the global leaders in Advanced Air Mobility like the OEMs of Joby, Archer and Wisk.”

Such missions, he says, serve three key purposes:

  • Seeing the progress of these companies in person and making connections
  • Exploring how Canadian companies can become part of the value chain
  • Examining potential for bringing these OEMs into Canada

CAAM membership has expanded rapidly. And while initial members were largely in the AAM or RPAS space, traditional aviation companies have been coming on board in increasing numbers.

“A lot of conventional aviation organisations are looking to expand and be a part of this new developing Advanced Air Mobility ecosystem,” he says. “The overlap between commercial aviation and Advanced Air Mobility is actually coming closer together.”

 

MOVING FORWARD

 

The other news, big news, is that in June an important document was released. Entitled “Roadmap for Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft Type Certification,” it’s a collaborative effort between the aviation regulatory bodies of Canada (Transport Canada), the US (FAA), New Zealand, the UK and Australia.

The roadmap’s Executive Summary explains the document “sets forth a unified and strategic approach to foster collaboration, safety assurance, technological innovation, and AAM inclusive bilateral agreements. In the face of emerging AAM technologies, including electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the Roadmap outlines a clear path to align aircraft type certification standards, harmonize airworthiness requirements, and facilitate information sharing among network members to maximize the transferability of type certified AAM across the Network, whilst acknowledging an incremental approach to the type certification of AAM aircraft.”

JR Hammond says the document is hugely significant.

“This is something we’ve been waiting for quite a while to go public with,” he says. “We all have common interests in how these new Advanced Air Mobility aircraft will be certified…So it’s a good stick in the sand to start the progress.”

Below: Key points from the Roadmap’s Executive Summary. Image via the National Aviation Authorities Network under Creative Commons 4.0

 

AAM Roadmap

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We are very excited about the coming world of AAM – and particularly about the potential for positive use-cases with Regional Air Mobility, getting critical goods and services (and people!) to regions that have existing barriers to traditional aviation. We’re impressed with the work being carried out in the US, Canada and elsewhere to bring these sustainable innovations forward.

“These are still early days, but AAM has incredible momentum and will someday transform our airspace and enhance use-cases,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “InDro is pleased to be a Project Partner with CAAM under JR’s leadership, and we look forward to playing a significant role in the AAM space in the future.”

In case you missed it earlier, you can download that AAM roadmap here.

You can also hear JR Hammond discuss CAAM at greater length with Scott Simmie in this InDro Sound Byte micro-podcast.

InDro part of new rural Indigenous healthcare drone delivery project

InDro part of new rural Indigenous healthcare drone delivery project

Jul 21, 2025 | Drone Delivery, Eric Saczuk, Indigenous Peoples/First Nations, InDro News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

InDro Robotics is pleased to be part of a newly funded research initiative that will explore delivering healthcare supplies by drone to three separate rural Indigenous communities. The project’s full title is “Implementing Drone Technology in Rural Indigenous Healthcare Systems: The Drone Transport Initiative.”

This news is actually the latest component of a multi-pronged initiative that will examine the need for and effectiveness of such deliveries, how to best ensure the most comprehensive benefits for communities in need, incorporate best practices from a multidisciplinary team – and even develop and test new technologies. The ultimate long-term goal is to develop an efficient and safe long-range drone delivery system that could be deployed at scale to enhance healthcare in remote Indigenous and other isolated communities.

The funding for the newest phase comes from Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF). The Fund typically focuses on “interdisciplinary, international, high-risk/high-reward and fast-breaking research.”

There’s no question that rural Indigenous communities face barriers to access to the healthcare most Canadians take for granted. As the NFRF announcement points out: “Delivering medical supplies to rural Indigenous communities in Canada presents significant challenges, leading to health inequities. Drones offer a promising solution by transporting medical supplies, potentially bridging these gaps in healthcare access. By doing so, this project addresses these inequities and supports the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.”

The Principal Investigator of this portion of the project is Dr. Femke Hoekstra (PhD), Assistant Professor at UBC’s Department of Medicine, Division of Social Medicine in the area of Implementation Science. Her research focuses on improving “health services and care for equity-deserving groups in rural, remote and isolated communities.” She holds multiple other related qualifications/positions – and is a perfect fit to oversee the research.

Above: The Skylane M350, a long-range VTOL InDro is evaluating for use in the project. Below: A previous InDro initiative delivering COVID test supplies to an isolated First Nations community during the peak of the COVID19 pandemic

THE DETAILS

 

Particulars of this new NFRF funded project are now public and available by searching “drone” on this page. The overview makes it very clear this is not simply a delivery project – but a comprehensive research initiative with many medical experts, Indigenous and regional partners, subject matter experts and more. It’s about a *lot* more than simply shuttling supplies by drone. Rather, you could think of it as the early phase of developing a workable system that will attempt to address and unify the many variables required to make all of this work effectively.

Partners in the project include an interdisciplinary team of researchers, health administrators and professionals, members of rural Indigenous communities, industry partners and key decision makers. As the NFRF announcement points out:

“Insights from our initial demonstration phase, environmental scans, and community needs assessment will inform our drone delivery model. Building relationships with the three rural Indigenous communities will be crucial for success, as their views and needs will guide the work.”

The initial phase of the project will focus on communities in northern British Columbia, including the Village of Fraser Lake and Stellat’en First Nation – both remote and a considerable distance west of Prince George. The goal is to provide reliable patient care by moving supplies, lab samples, and medicine between facilities and even directly to patients’ homes.

OBJECTIVES

The funding announcement outlines three specific objectives:

  • Co-develop an innovative model for using drones to deliver medical supplies in rural Indigenous communities
  • Co-implement the use of drone technology in three rural Indigenous communities
  • Co-evaluate partners’ experiences, outcomes and impacts.

Once the preliminary research is complete, InDro Robotics will be an industry partner carrying out the drone deliveries. These will be long-duration, low-risk BVLOS flights over challenging terrain – and where weather conditions could be very different 50 kilometres out from the takeoff point. InDro’s Chief of Flight Ops, Dr. Eric Saczuk, recently met in Prince George with about 30 people involved with the project. To say he was impressed would be an understatement.

“I was blown away at how passionate people were, how serious they were and how excited they were. I really felt like this people are visionaries. They’re definitely looking into the future and that appeals to me a great deal. I would love to positively contribute to that effort on that basis alone.”

There’s a lot of work before the first flights – which will involve a fixed-wing VTOL – take place. There are many considerations on the healthcare and community side of things, ensuring Indigenous partners have the main voice in determining the most pressing needs. Community healthcare workers will have input too – and researchers will want to create a framework so that all of this can be critically assessed for best outcomes.

And that’s before we even get to the drone side of things. There’s topography, range and payload to consider, weather challenges, Detect and Avoid technologies, contingency landing spots – and so much more. In fact, as part of a companion project, InDro is developing ground-based stations that will pepper the route to relay local weather conditions, scan for low-flying aircraft – and relay that data both to the drones and a Mission Control where an operator can someday monitor multiple simultaneous deliveries.

Sound like a lot of work? It will be. And that’s why Dr. Saczuk absolutely embraces it.

“It’s challenging. It’s something that will certainly move the needle forward in terms of establishing what needs to happen in order to operationalize these types of deliveries.”

Below: (1) The communities include the Village of Fraser Lake and Stellat’en First Nation, with flights to and from Prince George. (2) Dr. Eric Saczuk alongside the Skylane M350 VTOL, a drone we are evaluating for use in the project 

UBC Drone Delivery Village of Fraser Lake
Skylane M350 VTOL Eric Saczuk

INDRO’S TAKE

 

Drone deliveries aren’t new. There are huge success stories in rural healthcare deliveries, with Zipline achieving legendary accomplishments rapidly moving critical medical supplies in Africa. But when it comes to Canada, particularly communities most in need, there has yet to be a carefully thought-out long-range BVLOS system that reliably and consistently serves communities with pressing needs at scale. It takes more than a drone company to execute such a grand vision – it takes a village, and a multidisciplinary one at that.

There is now such a village. And we are very excited to be a member.

“We hear about various pilot projects, about instances where people try things out,” says Dr. Saczuk. “But I think this has the potential – out of all the projects and products I’ve been involved with – to really establish it as an operational service that could actually overcome some of those gaps and barriers to the delivery of medical services to remote First Nations communities.”

As mentioned, there are other partners onboard this ambitious project, with each carrying out interconnected and synergic roles. These include the CAN Health Network and INSAT – the Institute for Sustainable Aviation Technology. You’ll be hearing more about their roles later.

This is an important, long-term project which we hope will result in immense benefits for multiple communities. We look forward to keeping you updated along the journey.