D3.3 – Demonstration of drone deliveries to quarantines on the UAV full mission simulator

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted global supply chains, including medical supply chains. Especially the last mile deliveries to quarantine zones were under scrutiny due to the risk of contagion, and as drivers as well as their vehicles may be quarantined. This called for different approaches to medical deliveries. One such approach is to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, drones). The focus here is on UAVs for long-range flights (LRFs) of at least 1 000 km distance with high payloads (150 kg) that would have the capacity to deliver larger quantities to, e.g., health care centres and hospitals, rather than individual small deliveries. UAVs with such specifications (long-range and high payload) are non-existent because of battery power and other technical limitations. Therefore, simulation is the only way to test the potential of using drones for medical and humanitarian aid deliveries.