FLEDGLING DRONES: BRINGING MEDICINES TO REMOTE AREAS

摘要

Think of skies buzzing with flying drones, and you'll probably imagine something from a dystopian science-Action novel. Whether it's a coercive future police state observing and controlling its population or, even today, military operations using drones for reconnaissance and air strikes, these flying robots can make people feel uneasy. But our view of drones may be about to change. With companies such as online-shopping store Amazon testing the use of drones to deliver goods, humanitarian organisations are asking whether the fledging technology could be used to deliver medicines and other essential supplies to hard-to-reach places. There is certainly a need. The global humanitarian crisis is the largest since the end of the Second World War, with more than 20 million people in four countries facing starvation and famine. With resources spread thin, the United Nations has stressed the need for humanitarian organisations to focus on innovation. The use of drones to deliver drugs to people fits that bill.