InDro develops technology for UBC drone medical delivery project

InDro develops technology for UBC drone medical delivery project

Jun 17, 2025 | Drone Delivery, Indigenous Peoples/First Nations, InDro Beacon, InDro News, Medical, medical drone delivery, Scott Simmie, UBC

By Scott Simmie

 

We’re pleased to reveal more details or our partnership with UBC on a pilot project that will deliver medical supplies to two remote communities in northern British Columbia beginning in 2026.

We first announced our involvement in this post – but InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece unveiled more details during a recent online seminar hosted by CAN Health Network, a national partnership between healthcare organisations and private companies with a collective goal of introducing new solutions into the healthcare system while scaling those businesses.

There’s long been a disparity in access to healthcare between urban and rural or isolated communities. Residents in those remote communities often face greater barriers to accessing lab services, timely medication and diagnostic results. The sheer physical distance from more fully-equipped healthcare settings is a big part of the problem, though socioeconomic status can also play a role.

“When it comes to rural remote communities, which spans over 50 per cent of First Nation communities in BC, that means patients still face the geographic constraints in accessing their diagnostic tests, their medication, and all sorts of things that are very important to their patient journey,” Sandy Lee, Senior Project Manager on the UBC’s Faculty of Medicine Drone Transport Initiative, told the seminar.

This pilot project will assess the benefits that longer-range drone delivery can provide, along with what kinds of deliveries are most beneficial to patients. It will also be a chance for InDro to test out some new technology that will help enable safe Beyond Visual Line of Sight Flights.

Below: A screengrab during Philip Reece’s CAN Health Network presentation

InDro Beacon BVLOS

SAFE BVLOS

 

As you likely know, BVLOS stands for Beyond Visual Line of Sight – meaning the drone is operating farther than the operator can see. New Transport Canada regulations will permit routine, low-risk BVLOS flights after November 4, 2025 providing the operator holds a Level 1 Complex RPAS Certificate and all other regs are met.

In this pilot project, drones will carry supplies between Prince George and two remote locations: The Village of Fraser Lake, as well as the Stellat’en First Nation. Initially, the project will focus on transporting personal protective equipment and laboratory test swabs before expanding to include prescription medications and other supplies – including blood products.

But BVLOS, particularly the longer-range BVLOS these missions will require, is not a slam-dunk.

“We’re going to fly over some 200 kilometres of airspace,” Reece told the seminar. “It’s maybe a two or three-hour flight, and the drone will encounter all sorts of things during that flight and we need to ensure the airspace is safe. The airspace they fly in may be busy at times  – we might have helicopters or sea planes or hydro line inspections going on.”

What’s more, weather conditions might vary significantly during the course of the mission. Just because it’s good weather at the launch point doesn’t guarantee things are fine 100 km out. And so here, InDro has developed a new innovation.

 

INDRO BEACON

 

When flying BVLOS, a lot of things need to line up. The weather must be suitable for the entire route. The Command and Control link must be robust, and the mission must be planned so that terrain won’t interfere with that crucial signal. Equally important  (as the new regulations wisely outline), there must be a system to ensure there’s no conflict with traditional aviation. When the proposed mission is some 200-300 kilometres, everything possible must be done to ensure realtime situational awareness.

That’s where the new InDro Beacon comes in.

It looks a bit like a solar-powered weather station. And it is that, but also much more.

In addition to measuring wind and precipitation, each InDro Beacon contains a camera. That camera gives the Pilot-in-Command a realtime look at cloud cover and weather systems from multiple points along the route. In addition, each 5G-connected Beacon has a highly sensitive microphone to pick up the sound of any nearby traditional aircraft – firing off an immediate alert to the PiC.

“I think of Beacon as being like having multiple skilled Visual Observers along the route,” explains InDro’s Philip Reece. “It can detect and alert on any potential conflicts, as well as provide critical data on localised weather systems.”

Initial deployment on the project will likely involve five InDro Beacons. One will be at each landing zone, with several more strategically placed along the route for optimal visibility and connection. Once the viability of that planned route is thoroughly assessed, more Beacons will be placed along the route.

“This is a long-range, long-term project,” says Reece. “There have been many ambitious drone delivery BVLOS projects that have fallen to the wayside. We plan a meticulous, evidence-based trajectory that will lead to safe and routine BVLOS in even the most demanding surroundings.”

Below: The first prototype of the InDro Beacon, followed by the relevant portion of the CAN Health Network seminar

 

InDro Beacon UBC

INDRO’S TAKE

 

This isn’t our first foray into drone deliveries for medical purposes. During the peak of the pandemic, we delivered COVID19 test swab kits between a remote First Nations community in the Gulf Islands and the mainland, saving a healthcare worker from hand-carrying these by ferry on a daily basis. We have also previously partnered with Canada Post and London Drugs to demonstrate secure delivery of critical medications to island communities.

This project, however, is different. It will be an ongoing program to determine not only the benefits of drone delivery for remote and First Nation communities – but to develop a safe system for ensuring those deliveries.

“This is kind of a big deal,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “We plan to be very meticulous throughout, improving all of InDro Beacon’s multiple capabilities until we are absolutely satisfied. Once we reach that stage, we will be producing this commercially for the industry at large.”

Stay tuned.

Assistive devices on the rise at Korea’s Robot World Conference

Assistive devices on the rise at Korea’s Robot World Conference

Oct 12, 2023 | Medical, Robotics, Robots, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

A major robotics conference is underway in Seoul, South Korea.

Robot World 2023 features some 200 exhibitors and 700 booths, ranging all the way from heavy hitters like Hyundai (which makes robots for industrial purposes) through to companies that manufacture the various widgets that make up the robot supply chain. There are manufacturers of wheels, servos, end effectors, lubricants, cable management systems – you name it, you’ll find it.

Need a hand? There’s no shortage of robotic arms. While many are suited for factory and warehouse work, others are destined for the food services industry. Turn a corner and you’re more likely than not to see an arm smoothly pouring a coffee, grabbing a soft drink or snack and presenting it to an attendee.

Below: A Hyundai robot that can lift and reposition autonomobiles. It’s part of the Hyundai WIA (World Industrial Ace) division.

USE-CASES

 

The robots at this show illustrate the many use-cases. There are welding robots, pick-and-place machines, and heavy-lift AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) that can lift more than a ton. Need something stacked, sorted, inspected, delivered? Want a manipulator arm you can program to start preparing French fries the moment a take-out order has been placed by an app? Need a robot to move a car?

At Robot World 2023, you’ll find all of the above – and more.

 

ASSISTIVE DEVICES

 

But there was another category of robot on display at the exhibition: Assistive medical devices. Specifically, very smart machines that can be used for patients requiring rehabilitation.

InDro Robotics, which was invited to attend Robot World 2023, was struck by the number of companies with products in this sector. There were ground robots – friendly-looking devices that keep an eye on vulnerable people and can call for assistance if there’s a fall or some other crisis. But more intriguing to us were machines that can play a role – both physiologically and psychologically – in helping to rehabilitate someone from a serious injury or other challenging condition.

Below: A shape-shifting wheelchair wheel can climb stairs

Robot World Microsurgery

RE-LEARNING TO WALK

 

Like any major convention, exhibitors range from established global companies like Hyundai all the way to smaller startups with a great idea. And one that caught our attention is a company called Astrek Innovations. Its CEO and co-Founder is Robin Kanattu, a young engineer from Kerala in southern India.

“We are mainly focussing on building and designing products for the 20 per cent of people who are suffering from disability and accessibility issues,” says Robin. “One of the products is the lower limb exoskeleton, for people who are suffering form lower limb disabilities.”

As the company’s website explains:

“Established in 2018, we develop cutting edge solutions to some of our most complex problems – Disability and Rehabilitation. Leveraging our knowledge and expertise in robotics, machine learning and motion capture, we design devices that would transform the current state-of-the-art in the rehabilitation and assistive technology arena.

“Our magnum opus is a wearable robotic device, an exoskeleton, that would help people with lower-limb immobility walk again. A culmination of motorised limb braces, motion capturing & tracking; and machine learning; this device would transform rehabilitation into a precise, immediate treatment protocol.”

Established in 2018, the company has been building and testing versions of this product for four years.

“Now we have a final version, and we wanted to provide independence for people who are suffering form these disabilities,” he says.

A lot of research has gone into this product. Robin says a great deal of groundwork was spent capturing data on healthy people: How they walk, how they sit, how gaits alter during the course of a stride.

“Now we use that same data to predict the walking pattern of users, so they will have much more stable walking and standing while using the device.”

The exoskeleton provides support and strength and moves the legs. Forward-facing crutches are used to aid in stability. The product can be used on someone who is paralysed from the waist down, people recovering from strokes, those with certain genetic issues and people recovering from accidents.

 

HOW THE IDEA WAS BORN

 

Robin is an electrical engineer. But there was a personal motivation to put his skills to use in this arena.

“My grandfather had this issue. After having an accident, he was not able to walk properly. And after doing knee replacement surgery he was not able to walk again,” he explains. “So that’s how our team came togeher.”

Astrek has been recognized for product excellence at Robot World 2023, and Korea has brought the company in on a program called the K Startup Grand Challenge. Robin has been working in Korea on streamlining the manufacturing chain, working with mentors and looking for collaboration.

But the product, he says, is fully functioning. And people who are paralyzed from the waist down have been able to walk with it.

“Psychologically, they are so happy,” he says. “Their sole dream is to walk again, and we are happy to see them doing that.”

Robin did not have the prototype at the show because of red tape involving flying the batteries to Seoul. He’s pictured below with a banner showing the device.

Robin Kanattu Astrek

ROBOT REHABILITATION

 

Another company, RpiO, has already cracked the market. Its R-BoT plus is a device designed for people with central nervous system damage (including stroke, paraplegia, spinal cord injury etc.). It’s more of a rehab device designed for hospital settings, but allows users to exercise lower extremities while lying down or standing upright. The product is approved by a Korean regulatory body (Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safey, formerly the KFDA), and the company has already sold seven units inside Korea.

“We have major hospitals, locals hospitals and private hospitals who are using the machine with people who have damage impacting their lower body,” explains CEO Jay Moh.

“Because KFDA is a standard in Southeast Asia, we are starting to sell in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Many doctors have come to see our robots.”

The R-BoT plus works in three modes: Passive, active and resistive – depending on the patient’s abilities. What sets this device apart is that the person exercising watches a large-screen display during rehabilitation sessions. The display features outdoor scenes, and with every ‘step’ made, a footprint appears on the ground and the patient has a visual cue that they’re making progress. Distance covered, calories burned and heart rate are all displayed as well, providing further incentive.

“Once the machine starts, they look at the display,” he says. “This has been medically tested; this stimulates the brain and releases a chemical that stimulates recovery. People feel better – they enjoy the workout and feel like they’re walking through the grass.”

For those ready to actually move in the real world, the company also has a product called EXOwalk. Here, an exoskeleton is strapped to the patient’s limbs and can help move their legs (again, in multiple modes). But this exoskeleton is fixed to a rolling robotic platform – meaning the patient actually moves forward on the ground, rather than being fixed to a static machine.

“This is driven – so they actually move along the hallway in the facility.”

 

EXO Motion

 

For patients with upper limb motor impairments, the company has developed a product called EXO motion. This is strictly a portable exoskeleton device that attaches to the arm. In active mode, it detects myolectric signals from the user’s arm and – with some sophisticated algorithms and mechatronics – converts those signals into mechanical motion that moves the arm.

In addition to these robotic devices, RpiO also is a leading company in software designed to help people with dementia.

“We have a high population of elderly people who suffer with this,” says Moh. “So the market is growing very fast.”

Below: CEO Jay Moh, followed by the R-BoT plus and display. Note the footprints…

 

Robot World Korea R-BoT plus
R-BoT plus display

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We enjoyed checking out these devices at Robot World 2023 – and were pleased to see yet more evidence of #robotsforgood.

“Robots can be tremendous tools on their own,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece. “But there’s something truly special about products designed to directly help human beings improve their mobility and health. We applaud the inventors and engineers who develop these products, and look forward to even more assistive device breakthroughs in future.”

And a final note: The feature image at the top of this story shows some very, very, tiny arms used for microsurgery. InDro was able to take a run at the controls (pictured below). It took some patience, but we were able to grasp an impossibly small elastic band.

Now picture a highly skilled microsurgeon operating on someone remotely.

It’s happening now, thanks to robotics.

Robot World Microsurgery
Human lungs transported by drone in Toronto: A global first

Human lungs transported by drone in Toronto: A global first

Oct 14, 2021 | Industry News, Medical, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie, InDro Robotics

 

In a world first, a set of human lungs has been transported between two hospitals by drone.

It happened in Toronto September 25, with the drone carrying the organs on a six-minute flight between Toronto Western Hospital and Toronto General Hospital. Other organs have been transplanted by drone previously in the US, but it’s believed this is the first drone transport of lungs in the world.

The mission was carried out by Unither Bioélectronique, a Quebec-based subsidiary of United Therapeutics Corporation. The parent company is focussed on cutting-edge medical research, including the 3D printing of human-compatible biological tissue. Unither Bioélectronique, meanwhile, is building a network to be able to deliver organs. Both share a commitment to help save the lives of those awaiting transplant; the following comes from the Unither Bioélectronique website:

“Thousands of patients die very year waiting for an organ transplant due to the severe shortage of donors, and the time-sensitive supply of compatible and useable organs. Supply is simply not meeting the critical level of demand…

“United Therapeutics has a vision to change the fate and lives of these patients. Through innovative techniques in lung manufacturing, including pig-to-human xenotransplantation and advanced 3D bio-printing, and enabled by an integrated delivery network, Unither Bioelectronics has set itself on a course to be both a game-changer and lifesaver for those in need.”

A lot of preparations…

 

This was not a simple flight; a lot of planning and testing went into getting ready for the big day. In fact, according to a Canadian Press story carried by Global News, preparations took 18 months from beginning to end. Tasks included designing a custom container that would be relatively impervious to changes in barometric pressure (which varies with altitude and weather) and also provide protection from vibrations and minor bumps. This was all before getting regulatory clearance to fly at short notice over a congested urban centre.

Eventually all was done. And when a suitable pair of donor lungs became available, both Unither Bioélectronique and the University Health Network were ready. On October 12, the company released a video outlining the process:

The drone doctor

The University Health Network’s surgeon-in-chief, Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, was deeply involved with the project. In fact, it was Dr. Kehavjee’s patient who would be the recipient of this precious cargo, according to the Canadian Press story. Dr. Keshavjee was waiting on the roof when as the flight took place.

“To see it come over the tall buildings was a very exciting moment,” he told CP reporter Tara Deschamps. “I certainly did breathe a sigh of relief, when it landed and I was able to…see that everything was OK.”

The surgery took place soon after the organs arrived, and the recipient was recovering nicely as of mid-October. He is also, according to the story, a drone enthusiast.

The bigger picture

Using drones to deliver organs is a high-profile mission, and we’re happy to see this has taken place. But the reality – as Unither Bioélectronique points out – is that there’s a tremendous shortage of donor organs. Often, too, organs must be flown far greater distances for those awaiting transplant – routinely between cities and not just across town. Such missions would not be suitable for a general multi-rotor drone, though there are certainly uncrewed fixed-wing aircraft that could be adapted for the job.

This is not in any way to diminish the accomplishment here. But the reality is that drone deliveries of other essential medical supplies, particularly to destinations outside of urban centres, will benefit the greatest number of people. One need look no further than Zipline, which has completed hundreds of thousands of flights carrying critical (and often life-saving) medical supplies in Rwanda, Ghana and elsewhere.

Medical drone deliveries

InDro Robotics has long believed in the use of drones for positive use-cases. That’s why the company has been involved in numerous trials – as well as real-world deliveries – over a period of many years. We have delivered simulated blood products between hospitals in Montreal via drone, using insulated pouches equipped with temperature sensors that would send an alert if the temperature of the sample changed. (Certain blood products become less viable if they are not maintained within precise temperature parameters.)

InDro has also partnered with Canada Post, London Drugs and Country Grocer on trials to securely deliver prescription medications directly from the pharmacy to the end-user. The medications were contained in tamper-proof vials that require a specific code to unlock. Getting critical medications to people quickly – even products like Narcan, which saves lives during opioid overdoses – can save lives. Here’s a look at the joint project InDro carried out back in 2019:

 

And there’s more…

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, InDro Robotics regularly shuttled COVID test kits and swab samples between an island-based First Nations community and a mainland clinic. This saved the local healthcare providers from manually transporting these by car and ferry – a multi-hour undertaking – meaning they could spend more time helping patients. InDro has also carried out tests in conjunction with the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service, delivering Automated External Defibrillators to the site of 9-1-1 calls involving simulated cardiac events. The drone was able to repeatedly get the life-saving equipment to the site faster than paramedic teams driving emergency vehicles. In these kinds of urgent healthcare crises, minutes – and even seconds – count.

With multiple trials and real-world deliveries under its belt (along with standing approval for Beyond Visual Line of Sight flights and a Cargo delivery license from the Canadian Transportation Agency), InDro Robotics looks forward to regular deliveries of critical medical supplies in the future.

If you’re interested in exploring options for InDro solution for your community or healthcare network, we’d love to her from you. Contact us here.