October 1, 2024 marks an important milestone for Turin and its commitment to technological innovation. Thanks to Torino City Lab and the House of Emerging Technologies (CTE NEXT), a drone successfully completed the first experimental flight for organ transport between the Orthopaedic and Trauma Center (Centro Traumatologico Ortopedico – CTO) and the Genetics Building at Molinette Hospital. This autonomous flight, covering a distance of 500 meters as the crow flies, represents a significant step forward in urban mobility and healthcare services.
The project, called Indoor (usINg Drones fOr Organ tRansportation), is promoted by the DOT Onlus Foundation – Organ Donation and Transplants and is the result of a collaboration between the City of Turin, the Regional Transplant Center of Piedmont and Aosta Valley, the Polytechnic University of Turin, the University of Turin, the City of Health and Science of Turin, ENAC, Mavtech, and the startup ABzero.
The drone used, developed by ABzero, a startup in the portfolio of the House of Emerging Technologies in Turin, is equipped with a patented smart capsule that ensures optimal conditions for the transport of organs, blood, and medicines. Thanks to integrated Artificial Intelligence, the smart capsule continuously monitors temperature, humidity, and the integrity of the transported material. A dedicated app allows the management of the autonomous flight, offering the pilot the ability to control it remotely, while the AI optimizes flight conditions and ensures safety.
This experiment is part of the broader urban experimentation program promoted by Torino City Lab and CTE NEXT, aimed at developing innovative solutions for mobility and public services through the use of advanced technologies such as drones.
The City of Turin has played a key role in this experiment, providing 24 law enforcement units to ensure ground safety and facilitating the necessary flight permits. Furthermore, thanks to the memorandum of understanding signed with ENAC (National Civil Aviation Authority) in August 2023, the city has established regulated areas for drone testing, paving the way for new urban applications.
According to Chiara Foglietta, the Councillor for Innovation of the City of Turin, “Our commitment with CTE NEXT is aimed at promoting the use of advanced technologies that can improve the lives of citizens by introducing new urban services, such as healthcare delivery by drones, which could become an integral part of daily life in cities”.
The experimentation of drones for organ transport is just the beginning of a journey that will see Turin at the forefront of using drones for urban, healthcare, and logistical services. The city, through the House of Emerging Technologies, will continue to promote the testing of new solutions related to urban air mobility and smart city development.
Thanks to initiatives like Torino City Lab and CTE NEXT, and with the support of partners such as ENAC, Turin is becoming a key reference point for urban innovation and the development of new technological services that meet the future needs of the community.
Read the press release from the City of Turin at this link!
Promoting organization:
The D.O.T. Foundation Onlus was established in 2017, and its purpose is to implement initiatives of the highest social interest for the promotion and support of scientific research in the field of transplant medicine, as well as to promote the culture of organ, tissue, and cell donation and transplantation. The D.O.T. Foundation is made up of a “team” of institutions and organizations united in solidarity to achieve its “mission,” and is composed of 5 founding members: AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, the City of Turin, the Politecnico di Torino, the Piedmont Region, and the University of Turin.
Source: www.cittadellasalute.to.it
