Governments across the world have announced strict social distancing measures in an attempt to delay the spread of the coronavirus and are already grappling with the economic realities that President Trump fears “could be worse than the problem (COVID-19) itself.” Companies like Teladoc Health Inc. (NYSE: TDOC), Zoom Video Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM), and RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG) are doing their part to flatten the curve but drone company Draganfly, Inc. (CSE: DFLY / OTCQB: DFLYF/ FRA: 3U8) looks set to bring in a game changing solution with a “pandemic drone” so cutting edge it could be science fiction.

Drones have proven invaluable in containing the spread of COVID-19

Flattening the curve is now the priority of almost every government. Social distancing and quarantine measures have been put in place to reduce the strain on overburdened healthcare systems. A key problem has been encouraging people to observe these new measures, and drones have rapidly proven their worth.

Draganfly selected to integrate breakthrough health diagnosis technology to detect & monitor COVID19

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Countries across the world are already using drones to monitor quarantine zones and ensure compliance. In the early days of the pandemic, videos of Chinese drones chastising citizens breaking quarantine went viral. And in more recent days, the Spanish and French governments have followed suit. Back in China, drones are also now being used to deliver important supplies and are likely to become an important part of the supply chain in the near future.

Draganfly is finally unleashing the pandemic fighting potential of drones

So far, drones fighting COVID-19 have been relegated to a supporting role but the announcement by Draganfly, Inc. (CSE: DFLY / OTCQB:DFLYF/ FRA:3U8) is set to change that. The company has partnered with Vital intelligence, Inc., the University of South Australia and the Australian Department of Defence — Defence Science and Technology Group (DST), to create the next leap forward in drone technology.

For some time now Vital Intelligence Inc., the University of South Australia, and the Australian DoD have been working on the Vital Intelligence Project. This health monitoring platform leverages new and existing camera networks, supplemented with drones, to build a respiratory monitoring platform. This cutting edge solution can monitor body temperatures and heart & respiratory rates in crowded areas and provide real feedback about the health of each individual. It might sound like science fiction but the Vital intelligence Project is already a reality and could soon become a key tool for health and security personnel.

A demonstration of the Vital Intelligence Project in action

The secret sauce behind the Vital Intelligence Project is the deep learning algorithm that underpins the cutting-edge sensor suite. The system collects huge amounts of data and uses that to improve its detection methods, making it possible to pinpoint a single infected individual even in large busy crowds. Rather than measuring just temperature or heart rate, which can give false positives, the system takes into account a range of symptoms and uses those to confirm whether an individual is a risk or not. This enables security and health officials to respond appropriately and could be a key tool in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and any future pandemics.

Rapid deployment of the Vital Intelligence Project is key

According to Dr. Javaan Chahl, the project was originally designed to be used “in a future relief expedition to some far-away place” but the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to rapidly roll out the project in Australia and abroad. In order to do that, the company needed a reliable partner which they found in the form of Draganfly. The drone producer was selected as the exclusive integration partner for the project with a binding agreement and initial budget of $1.5 million to push the project forward.

Draganfly’s role is to develop a cutting-edge “pandemic drone” that utilizes the Vital Intelligence Project’s sensor suite to identify high-risk individuals. Draganfly’s drones will be key in the rollout of this network as existing security infrastructure is not comprehensive enough to capture all the necessary data.

Another advantage of drones is that they can be utilized in areas that are not currently covered and to monitor hard to reach individuals, such as those in remote areas, or homeless populations who are at risk of infection but may be overlooked in other circumstances.

Draganfly is a proven drone innovator

Draganfly was selected as the project partner on the merits of its proven track record of innovation. The company was the first to produce an 8-rotor copter and designed the first delivery drone, and has been on the cutting edge of drone innovation ever since. Most recently, the company inked a deal with AeroVironment to help drones revolutionize the agricultural sector with the Quantix Mapping System.

Historically, around 70% of the company’s revenues have come from contracts with the military and public safety institutions, and this record of excellence has helped the company secure a number of new contracts in 2020 already.

The next step in innovation for Draganfly, Inc. (CSE: DFLY / OTCQB:DFLYF/ FRA:3U8) is undoubtedly the “pandemic drone.” The partnership with the University of South Australia is a watershed moment in health management and will likely be a turning point in the fight against COVID-19 and future pandemics.

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(Featured image by Draganfly Inc.)

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