Zipline drones deliver medical supplies and PPE

Zipline’s drones are delivering medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) to a Novant Health Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The deliveries are entirely contactless. The service was begun by delivering supplies to Novant Health’s Huntersville medical center from a depot next to its facility in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Once the drones reach their destination, they drop the supplies via parachute, meaning the center doesn’t need any additional infrastructure to receive deliveries. Zipline says its drones can carry almost four pounds of cargo and travel at speeds of up to 80 mph. Zipline has been given Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for flights over two routes, with round trips of between 20 and 30 miles.