How Delft University of Technology's Rapid Response Ambulance Drone with a Defibrillator can save lives

“It is essential that the right medical care is provided within the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest. If we can get to an emergency scene faster, we can save many lives and facilitate the recovery of many patients. This especially applies to emergencies such as heart failure, drownings, traumas and respiratory problems, and it has become possible because life-saving technologies, such as a defibrillator, can now be designed small enough to be transported by a Drone”

Graduate student Alec Momont of Delft University of Technology commenting on his design for the Rapid Response Ambulance Drone developed in collaboration with Belgian innovation platform Living Tomorrow

Drone development abroad continues to outpace the United States of American on every front.

Germany's already has a DHL delivering packages to the island of Juist off the coast of Germany, making them the first EU (European Union) nation to do Drone deliveries as noted in my blog article entitled “DHL Parcelcopters make deliveries to Juist off Germany’s coast – Why Progress of Drones in West slower than in the East for same-day delivery”.

Now comes the Rapid Response Ambulance Drone developed by graduate student Alec Momont from the Delft University of Technology in collaboration with Belgian innovation platform Living Tomorrow as stated in the article “Ambulance Drone delivers help to heart attack victims”, published October 28, 2014 5:51 PM PDT by Michelle Starr, CNET News and “Grad Student Invents Flying Ambulance Drone To Deliver Emergency Shocks”, published 10/29/2014 @ 7:50PM by Larry Husten, Forbes.

According to Mr. Alec Momont, the cost to design and build each Drone is €15,000 per Drone and it's worth doing as it has the potential to save many lives as it can get to a heart attack scene very quickly carrying a mini defibrillator that can be used to resuscitate the victim.

So say Mr. Alec Momont quote: ‘The costs should not be an issue; I have calculated these at approximately €15,000 per Drone, which is clearly a reasonable amount if you consider the number of lives that could be saved”. 

The logic seems reasonable.

A flying Drone flying at 100 kph (60 mph), carrying a Defibrillator can reach the scene of a heart attack patient within minutes as stated in the article “TU Delft's ambulance Drone drastically increases chances of survival of cardiac arrest patients”, published 27 October 2014 by Webredactie Communication, Delft University of Technology.

Rapid Response Ambulance Drone - Detailed Instructions, a long Extension Cord and Extra Battery Pack needed

According to his design, this Rapid Response Ambulance Drone is a Delta Configuration Hexacopter (6 rotors) that folds into a compact, easy to carry design. Most likely its communications package is probably packing a 4G LTE Connection that would allow for live stream Audio and Video connection effectively a mini screen with a speaker and a microphone. That’s what got me interested in doing this article as it’s a great example of a practical application of Streaming over 4G LTE.

Skype on a Drone with Defibrillator would be a better description of the Rapid Response Ambulance Drone. Based on the images I’ve gleaned, it folds out into a Delta Configuration for stability during flight, albeit the landing gear doesn’t look very all terrain to me.

Like the Google X Labs Project Wing Delivery Drone in the Queensland, Australian Outback as described in my blog article entitled “Google X Labs Project Wing - How to own a Global Satellite based Semi-Autonomous VTOL Drone Delivery Service” it would fly autonomously i.e. pilot itself to the scene of the heart attack, which raises a lot of issues as it relates to access to private property not to mention just being able to get past the front door.

I foresee problems, however.

Despite the Video, someone having a heart attack may not necessarily be in the open space. In fact, it would actually be worse if they are in an open space.

Also the Defibrillator is piece of hospital equipment that albeit miniaturized, needs to be plugged in somewhere to be used. That idle bystander hanging around that made the call originally made the call not only has to be trained in the usage of a Defibrillator, but also must happen to have a really long extension cord on hand.

Either that, of the Rapid Response Ambulance Drone would have to be packing a large number of batteries to supply the Defibrillator or the portable Defibrillator would have to have its own built in Rechargeable Li-Ion batteries and have to be fully charged for usage at the time of deployment......or a really long extension cord!

From the video, that appears to be the solution used, as the Defibrillator is being powered by a connection to the Rapid Response Ambulance Drone.

That's just one worry.

Defibrillator Woes – Trained EMT’s step-by-step with non-Trained Public in an Emergency

The individual on the scene would have to be given detailed step by step instructions by a trained EMT via the Audio and Video connection over the 4G LTE while waiting the arrival of an Ambulance filled with EMT (Emergency Medical Technicians).

This as the typical member of public may not be so bright technically speaking and may actually end up shocking themselves! This can be imagined as being frustrating as giving someone instructions on how to use a computer over the internet from a Call Center.  Conceivably, this function of instructing people to use the Defibrillator will most likely be work that would be handling by a Call Center eventually, a cost probably not factored into the €15,000 per Drone quoted by Mr. Alec Momont.

Netherlanders may not of course, as they have a higher level of education. But for this to go global, it would be bet deployed in countries which have higher levels of literacy.

Mr. Alec Momont solution to this debacle it to have the EMT via the Live Stream Camera, speakers and microphone attached to the Rapid Response Ambulance Drone give step-by-step instructions on the use of the defibrillator, boosting successful used of the defibrillator from 20% by untrained persons to 90% when done under the guidance of a Trained EMT.

This is basically like getting instructions via Skype to do a task on your computer, albeit I'm not sure I the finally prototype design of the Rapid Response Ambulance Drone will also include a mini Video monitor to allow the persons on site to see the EMT, as many might not take well to talking to a Voice emanating from a Drone.

Amusingly, they trained EMT talking to the persons may be the very same persons giving him instructions on as they bob and weave through traffic just to reach the victim and save them. Hopefully, if this works the way Mr. Alec Momont designs it, there is a strong possibility that the Rapid Response Ambulance Drone can save the victim’s life.

Or at least get members of the Public more interested in learning CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation), a booklet for which I’d also include onboard the Drone for free distribution to the persons who made the call for Emergency Services! That too can also save a person’s life!

Netherlands won't have Commercial Drones until 2015 - EU still ahead of the US in Drone Development

Still, aside from possible congestion in the 4G LTE Network, this concept is not only sound, but well needed by EMT.

This would result in more lives being saved to again quote Mr. Alec Momont: “Some 800,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest in the EU every year, and only 8 percent survive. The main reason for this is the relatively long response time of the Emergency services (approx. 10 minutes), while brain death and fatalities occur within four to six minutes. The Ambulance Drone can get a defibrillator to a patient inside a 12 km2 zone within one minute. This response speed increases the chance of survival following a cardiac arrest from eight percent to 80 percent”.

So when will Mr. Alec Momont’s Rapid Response Ambulance Drone be flying across the skies of the EU autonomously to EMT’s to do their jobs that much faster? And will similar Drones be deployed by Police for surveillance situations?

Already here in Jamaica, plans are already underway for the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) aka the Jamaican Police and the JDF (Jamaica Defense Force) and possibly the Coast Guard to used Drones to catch thieves in the act as described in my blog article entitled “NAITS Initiative launched at Denbigh Agricultural Show 2014 – How May Pen Police will work to reduce Praedial Larceny with Drones to come by 2017”.

These Drones would be used by a Jamaican Praedial Larceny Task Force for cases of Praedial Larceny occurring both on land as well as off our territorial waters as described in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Agriculture rolling out NAITS - How Jamaican Police with smartphones will Improve Meat Quality for Export while fighting Praedial Larceny”.

So for the Netherlands it won’t be until 2015, as like the US of A FAA (Federal Aviation Authority  as described in my blog article entitled “FAA ok’s Drones for Hobbyist – Study to determine Commercial Drone Risk as Amazon, UPS and FedEx Drones get the Kibosh until 2015”, it has to go through study and approval to set guidelines for Commercial usage of drones!

Still, this forward thinking idea came from the EU and thus is enough to put the US of A on its guard as it relates to use of Drones for purposes other than waging War from the skies come the Year of the Sheep!