This maybe hard to believe, but it's true. I can't believe I didn't hear this in the news.

I found this out by accident, while looking for 1/24 scale ambulances.

http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/31/this-ambulance-drone-can-fly-into-trouble-with-first-aid/

Wouldn't people just steal them when they're not in use?

Wouldn't people just steal them when they're not in use?

Wouldnt people just steal an ambulance when its not in use? lol

Wouldnt people just steal an ambulance when its not in use? lol

Well, the drone would be easier to steal because all you literally have to do is pick it up.

Well, the drone would be easier to steal because all you literally have to do is pick it up.

Yeah, but wouldnt you think the drone would be in a garage or something, and whats the point of stealing a ambulance drone? The drone would probably have some sort of lock mechanism which only unlocks when the drone is needed.

Yeah, but wouldnt you think the drone would be in a garage or something, and whats the point of stealing a ambulance drone? The drone would probably have some sort of lock mechanism which only unlocks when the drone is needed.

It wouldn't be in a garage, because how would it get out? If it's a immediate response, it would need to be outside. You could probably sell it for a few bucks. You can't lock something to the ground, without chaining or bolting.

It wouldn't be in a garage, because how would it get out? If it's a immediate response, it would need to be outside. You could probably sell it for a few bucks. You can't lock something to the ground, without chaining or bolting.

Say it was on a roof. theres a specially made lock, the lock device itself is bolted on the roof. The drone is in the mechanism, in an emergency, the lock releases. The drone flies away. And what makes you think it cant be in a garage, i mean firetrucks, ambulances, etc are in garages. I doubt the drone is 100% automatic, or automatic at all.

It is an interesting idea, although I'd still prefer to have an actual paramedic help me out.

 

As for the theft issue, you could probably just store it on the roof of the ambulance station. There are people there 24/7 so the chance of someone climbing onto the roof to steal it is pretty small. Then again, people have done weirder things to steal something.

Wouldn't people just steal them when they're not in use?

Have you ever walked up to a hospital, gone into the staff only areas, climbed onto the roof and stolen a defibrillator?

This drone would not be sat in the middle of the street, it would be on stand-by at some form of medical centre waiting to be used. It would also likely get it's power from there as I'm assuming it's not got a 2-stroke petrol engine in it. (and even if it did it would need petrol...duh)

 

If the doctor/telephone operative was able to view the camera and monitor the systems on the drone obviously he, or another operator, would be flying it too, otherwise you're relying on telling a small robotic blender to navigate a city on it's own without getting confused by changes that take place every second. You can't do that, AI currently doesn't allow for a camera based drone to navigate it's surroundings that efficiently. It wouldn't be "please go outside, the drone is nearly there" it would instead be "err...I'm sorry love, the drone hit a tree, killed a cat and got stuck. Oh and because we wasted our time with this if we sent an ambulance now your dad would already be dead. Sorry"

My point being, they would fly it back not leave it in the street.

 

 

More on topic, drones are being deployed in lots of situations. Amazon uses them for drone deliveries, as far as I know only a select few states have this and even then it's entirely experimental. I'd be interested to see how robotics can advance in this field, in this day and age an ambulance can't get to you in less than 10 minutes because of traffic (this is a wild guess based on average response times) so seeing a drone get to you from a pre-selected medical "outpost" with drone capabilities is kind of cool. However this has a MASSIVE issue with it, and that is the reliance on someone having medical experience and the nerve to not go "oh shit oh shit oh shit my dad's dying oh god, what do I do what's this, oh fuck I broke it, oh god he's dying! ARGHW$HEG PDRToi4ei6onnjrytfkhr"

What's next, police drones? Jk, I like the idea of this, but who's going to pay for this?

Seems like a good idea, but I could only see this being useful in isolated areas and even then that's what the air ambulance is for. In my opinion it would be best to fit buildings with defibrillators do you don't have to wait for a drone. I mean if your on the 10th floor of a 20 floor building you would have to either walk to the roof or the ground to collect the drone and then run back which is like 5 mins. when instead you could grab the defibrillator from the wall down the corridor. Not denying this would be useful though as most placed don't have defibrillators.

What's next, police drones? Jk, I like the idea of this, but who's going to pay for this?

There is a huge number of place you can get funding for something like this. Drones are much easier to produce and cost less. (you hire a nerd with basic medical knowledge to fly it rather than have to pay 2 fully qualified paramedics, bad I know but it's an example)

 

 

Seems like a good idea, but I could only see this being useful in isolated areas and even then that's what the air ambulance is for. In my opinion it would be best to fit buildings with defibrillators do you don't have to wait for a drone. I mean if your on the 10th floor of a 20 floor building you would have to either walk to the roof or the ground to collect the drone and then run back which is like 5 mins. when instead you could grab the defibrillator from the wall down the corridor. Not denying this would be useful though as most placed don't have defibrillators.

Very true, very true. But specifically in the UK the various air ambulance services are funded entirely by donations alone, so if you can get funding for drones you can have 20 drones for each helicopter (just an example).

You can also fit a drone in more spaces than a helicopter, it costs much less to get a drone than a helicopter and of course the response time would be quicker.

 

As for defribs in buildings, I'm not 100% sure but if you work in a large enough building they have security of some sort who will have some form of medical supplies. Maybe not a full defib kit granted but enough to keep you alive and get you to within access. Also I think this point is pretty redundant anyway, an air ambulance or ordinary ambulance has the same issues as a drone would. You can't fly a helicopter to the elevator and down to the X floor, and you can't drive an ambulance through the front foyer into an elevator either (although I'd start paying the NHs if they did this lol), the difference being you can scramble a drone and have it on scene a lot quicker.

 

Just some speculations.

There is a huge number of place you can get funding for something like this. Drones are much easier to produce and cost less. (you hire a nerd with basic medical knowledge to fly it rather than have to pay 2 fully qualified paramedics, bad I know but it's an example)

 

 

Very true, very true. But specifically in the UK the various air ambulance services are funded entirely by donations alone, so if you can get funding for drones you can have 20 drones for each helicopter (just an example).

You can also fit a drone in more spaces than a helicopter, it costs much less to get a drone than a helicopter and of course the response time would be quicker.

 

As for defribs in buildings, I'm not 100% sure but if you work in a large enough building they have security of some sort who will have some form of medical supplies. Maybe not a full defib kit granted but enough to keep you alive and get you to within access. Also I think this point is pretty redundant anyway, an air ambulance or ordinary ambulance has the same issues as a drone would. You can't fly a helicopter to the elevator and down to the X floor, and you can't drive an ambulance through the front foyer into an elevator either (although I'd start paying the NHs if they did this lol), the difference being you can scramble a drone and have it on scene a lot quicker.

 

Just some speculations.

I don't think you understood what I meant by "Isolated areas" which is my fault for not expressing it clearly. when I say isolated I mean the Countryside not an elevator. Furthermore the drone in the video seemed to only have defibs and no medical supplies, that's why I said just have defibs in the buildings to cut down wait times. (Here's what I mean https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/nation-of-lifesavers/using-defibrillators). There was a big thing about these in the news back in 2013 I believe. There was government plans to have these in installed in all public places but I do believe it was scrapped. Although that's for another topic. 

What's next, police drones? Jk, I like the idea of this, but who's going to pay for this?

It wouldnt cost alot, considering some firetrucks can cost 500,000-1,000,000 US Dollars. But then again, this is just a defib device.

 

(Those prices dont include the $150,000-$200,000 it costs to fully outfit the vehicle)

Edited January 26, 201511 yr by RunnGTX

< snip >

Edited June 23, 20241 yr by tobeymaguire

Since when do firetrucks cost a Lamborghini.

 

I like the idea of the drone. I saw that thing flying (first half a minute of the video) and I almost said a bad word!

Fire trucks arent cheap. Look it up, just a pumper cost 550k, (again not including the 200k to outfit it)

It doesn't seem like this would be used alone, so don't worry about 'I'd rather have 2 paramedics than a flying robot'. My guess is they would deploy an ambulance AND this drone, and this drone would simply be a first responder.

Fire trucks arent cheap. Look it up, just a pumper cost 550k, (again not including the 200k to outfit it)

 

 

Since when do firetrucks cost a Lamborghini.

 

I like the idea of the drone. I saw that thing flying (first half a minute of the video) and I almost said a bad word!

http://www.rockymountainphoenix.com/apparatus/2011/02/11/victoria-fire-department/

This ladder truck was made in the US then shipped to Germany to have it's ladder installed. The apparatus cost a 1mill.

Wow. This is shocking.