The British Government has announced more than £33million in funding will go to drone companies, with many of them using the flying machines to fight Covid-19.
Today, a total of 20 companies have been announced which will receive a share of £7.35 million.
Nine of these are tailored to help with the coronavirus effort, to aid in the rapid delivery of critical items while minimising exposure to the disease.
Of the £7.34million total funding, the Covid-related projects received £2.34million.
In total, 34 projects are set to receive a share of £30 million, while 14 others focused specifically on coronavirus response, will receive a share of a further £3.5 million.
The other winners are set to be announced soon, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
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One initiative which received funding is the Cornish Drone Airbridge which will use drones to deliver PPE and Covid tests to rural communities in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (stock)
Pictured, some of the drone projects that have received funding from the UK government for initiatives centred around Covid-19
One initiative that has received funding is the Cornish Drone Airbridge, which will use drones to deliver PPE and Covid tests to rural communities in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
The Cornwall trial will involve a Windracers ULTRA UAV drone flying between Lands End Airport and St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly.
Windracers, a company based in Southampton, says it hopes to complete the trip in 30 minutes and be able to take up to 50kg (110lbs) of resources.
The British Government has announced more than £33million in finding will go to drone companies, with many of them using the flying machines to fight Covid-19. Today, a total of 20 companies have been announced which will receive a share of £7.35 million
It is intended to serve as a backup to existing logistics which have been affected by the implementation of ‘Lockdown 2.0’.
The Windracers ULTRA UAV is a twin engine, fixed-winged aircraft with a carrying capacity of up to 100Kg, in a space around the size of an estate car boot.
The company says it has a range of more than 600miles and although it can carry more, the trial will start with loads weighing 50kg.
In a statement, the company said the type of cargo will depend on the needs of the NHS on the Isles of Scilly.
Special airspace permissions have been granted solely to Windracers by the UK Civil Aviation Authority for this project.
Stephen Wright, Executive Chairman of Windracers, said ‘We have been working with the Cornwall Development Company and University of Southampton for over three years to design and build the Windracers ULTRA UAV.’
‘We are very pleased that we are able to contribute to helping the NHS fight Covid-19,’ adds Charles Scales, Windracers CEO.
‘This will be the first time a large, load carrying UAV is used in shared airspace between the Isles of Scilly and mainland Cornwall. We are very proud to be part of this ground-breaking project.’
Other Covid-specific projects getting a cash boost are MediDrone in London which will shuttle urgent resources from one hospital to another to minimise the risk of transmission; BVLOS Drone Comms in Hertford which will help improve contact between drones and their control rooms when flying outside the operator’s line of sight; and a Chichester-based project which will allow for remote inspection by drone to reduce exposure to the virus of workers.
Business and Industry Minister, Nadhim Zahawi, said: ‘As the UK leads the way in the aviation revolution, these bold proposals showcase the pioneering spirit of the UK’s aerospace and aviation industries in solving global issues, and those facing us here in the UK.
‘Today we have announced over £7 million of funding for projects across the country which demonstrate how using the latest and most cutting-edge aviation technologies can step up our response to the coronavirus pandemic, help us build back better and cement our well-earned reputation for research and development excellence, while creating hundreds of new jobs.’
