In a news release, Draganfly Inc. (DFLY:CSE; DFLYF:OTCQB), which specializes in unmanned vehicle technology, announced it was chosen as the exclusive integration partner on a project aimed at combating COVID-19 and future health crises.
The Vital Intelligence Project combines a health and respiratory monitoring platform with new and existing camera networks and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft. The automated equipment monitors people's health and vital signs, including temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate, and detects respiratory and infectious conditions.
The monitoring devices are ideal for use among crowds, workforces and at-risk groups, such as seniors, at care facilities for example, and high-traffic places, including airports, convention centers, cruise ships, border crossings and critical infrastructure facilities. Also, the data they collect can help in understanding certain health trends.
Draganfly's role is to use its engineering, integration and distribution expertise and secure supply chain to commercialize and deploy the technology right away. Accordingly, the Canadian company signed a binding agreement, which affords an initial $1.5 million-plus budget.
The other partner in the project is Vital Intelligence Inc., a healthcare data services and deep learning company associated with the University of South Australia, which developed the technology with help from the Australian Department of Defense's Defense Science and Technology Group.
"With fighting epidemics rising as a global priority, new versatile technologies, such as humanitarian mission UAVs, are immediately needed to detect and track outbreaks so that critical interventions can be deployed sooner and with greater effectiveness," Dr. Jack Chow, adviser to the Vital Intelligence Project and the former first assistant director-general of the World Health Organization, said in the release.
"Draganfly has been selected because of its proven leadership in an industry so important to public safety at such a critical time. We look forward to working with global agencies and industry to rapidly deploy this important technology," said Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly.
"Draganfly is honored to work on such an important project given the current pandemic facing the world with COVID-19. Health and respiratory monitoring will be vital for not only detection, but also utilizing the data to understand health trends. As we move forward, drones and autonomous technology doing detection will be an important part of ensuring public safety," said Andy Card, Director of Draganfly and former Secretary of Transportation and White House Chief of Staff.
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