A hydrogen-powered drone has delivered 15,000 protective face masks to residents on Gapa, Mara and Biyang Islands in South Korea in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The delivery by Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI) will provide the 490 residents with a three-month supply of the protective equipment.

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The delivery marks the first beyond visual line of sight flight conducted for COVID-19 relief. The autonomous mission flight of the DMI drone DS30 covered 30 km and demonstrated stable operation at a speed of 5 m/second in winds of 10 m/second. The hydrogen fuel cell drone, which weighs 21 kg with a 10.8 liter fuel tank, is capable of flight for two hours with a 5 kg payload and can cover 40 km under fair weather conditions, which is 13 times more area than conventional battery drones.

The government of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is working with DMI to expand drone service for continued contactless delivery of medical supplies.