Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, drones) are expected to save transport time and improve service reliability for transport of biologic samples, but few studies have evaluated the potential time savings of such services. The total transport time defined as time from sample ready for transport until arrival at the laboratory was used to assess the absolute and relative time savings of drones compared with ground transport, using ground distances from 4–7 km (urban model) to 179–262 km (rural district routes) with one to eight daily scheduled trips. Costs of existing ground transport were allocated to drone flight times as a proxy for drone cost competitiveness. Time savings were less than 20–30% in the urban model but 65–74% in the rural routes using drone speeds of 100 km/h, but the time between trips (route frequencies) and drone speeds influenced the relative time savings substantially. Cost of time gains per number of samples was less favorable using drones in the rural models due to lower transport volumes. This research concludes that drone solutions provide marginal gains for short-distance transports, whereas time savings are more promising in long transport models with appropriate scheduling and sufficiently high drone speeds.
Highlights
Research into the use of unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs, here called drones) in healthcare services has surged over the last decade
Using Ordinary Driving Hours Assuming No Delays in Model 2 Figure 11 illustrates the results from normal driving times using from one to eight routes per day compared with simulated drone times for the same routes
Time savings seem to be marginal for short transport distances, whereas longer distances promise value if organized appropriately for transport volumes that have a sufficient payoff
Summary
Research into the use of unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs, here called drones) in healthcare services has surged over the last decade. Various hospital laboratories can provide services for each other using predictable and sustainable transport solutions, either ground- or drone-based. Such innovations could have a significant influence on the future organization of laboratories. The rapidly developing drone industry is exploring different propulsive solutions, such as hydrogen fuel cells, electric batteries, and solar energy, to extend current range, time, and load limitations. These topics are, in part, a chicken-and-egg problem. This report focuses on two topics relevant to the above discussion: time savings and costs
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