Google patent shows communicative drones for helping people during medical emergencies
The use of drones for aerial photography, mapping and surveying has become increasingly popular over the last few years, but it appears Google is set to make use of the technology for medical emergencies.
A patent application filed by Google and first spotted by Quartz, indicates the tech giant could be developing a drone that flies autonomously to bring the necessary medical supplies to a person during an emergency. According to the patent, users simply deploy a drone by pressing a button on a portable box, with the drone able to instruct users how to use or apply the delivered medical supplies via video when it arrives.
The drone rescue system, if introduced, could be a game changer for the emergency services sector, and could help save lives when people in distress are not able to wait for an ambulance to arrive.
The image shown in the patent displays a radio-like device featuring buttons. There is also a screen which will probably display the estimated time of arrival of the drone.
The drone is expected to be connected via Wi-Fi, cellular data or a simple telephone device. Surprisingly, the search giant did not consider connecting it via an app.
Google also mentioned in its patent that if required, the drones will be able to land on water bodies like a floatplane.
The latest patent application is not the first time Google has thought about applying drones to the medical industry. Last year, the company patented flying drones equipped to provide medical support, which suggested that Google wanted to create ambulance drones that could reach out to people with medical aid at remote locations. This includes employing drones to carry necessary supplies to people stranded during or after natural hazards.
The search giant has also been working on a drone delivery service called Project Wing since 2012. The communicative drone system would work with four-wheeled robots to deliver packages to a pre-set destination. Google X's drone delivery project could be live by 2017, Dave Vos, the head of Project Wing, confirmed to Fast Company.
