Credit: GRIFFIN
The GRIFFIN project consortium (Laboratoires Réunis, Luxembourg Air Ambulance SA, POST Luxembourg and Santé Services), which aims to explore the possibility of medical sample drone deliveries in the Grand Duchy, has announced first important steps.
Luxembourg Air Ambulance SA (LAA), which provides its expertise in the field of aviation and acts as a project manager, noted it has obtained its certification for the operation of commercial drones. In this context, LAA employees recently completed comprehensive training with the drone manufacturer, RigiTech in Switzerland, and obtained their accreditation as independent BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drone operators. Furthermore, the study which assesses the consequences and risks of the use of drones has been completed in the meantime.
The reportedly ultra-modern and high-performance Eiger-type drone, having proven itself in similar projects around the world, was delivered in May 2024 to the operator LAA and presented for the first time by the project partners as part of an unboxing event.
Currently, the certification of the route chosen for the test and first drone delivery is underway. The first test flights with the Eiger drone are planned for June 2024. After certification of the flight route and completion of all tests, the first drone delivery is set for July 2024, the GRIFFIN project consortium reported.
The partnership, called GRIFFIN, was created in July 2023 by the parties Laboratoires Réunis, Luxembourg Air Ambulance SA, POST Luxembourg and Santé Services. As part of this pioneering project for the Grand Duchy, the four parties involved have confirmed they are studying the potential of using drones for the delivery of medical samples. The reported objective is to carry out an in-depth technical feasibility study demonstrating the advantages of the drone delivery method for the future and to translate the knowledge acquired into practical applications.
