Gadfin, or “wings” in Aramaic—
Its flagship aircraft hovers like a UAV and folds out wings to fly like a plane—is hoping to connect Israeli hospitals with drone supply networks and has its sights set on providing essential services in remote Third World locations.
Israel’s Gadfin UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and drone producer was the first company in the world to receive the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority permit for urban airspace deliveries this year. That permit means that Gadfin can compete for tenders that provide a glimpse into the near future. Under this vision, hospitals, laboratories, and a range of organizations will send and receive supplies via drone transport networks, skipping over-congested roads and reducing risk to sensitive, refrigerated packages.
Gadfin holds several breakthrough patents, including for a first of its kind drone called “Spirit One” that folds out its wings in-flight. It can take packages weighing up to 15 kilograms across more than 250 kilometers. The aircraft are operated autonomously with almost no human intervention.
The company is also designing a larger version of “Spirit One,” called “Spirit X,” which can take 100-kilogram packages across 500 kilometers.
Spirit One
The use of drones requires electrification of it's engine(s) and the use of GPS, possibly 5G and integration of air traffic control systems for optimization and safety concerns. Modern air control systems will have to adapt to new flight modes.
Gadfin CEO Eyal Regev states,
“When we look at the world, we see that most areas are in the periphery. Most peripheral areas are very much lacking the services that city centers enjoy. It’s true for Southeast Asia, it’s true for Africa, it’s true for South America, but also for the West. This applies to many services. Medical tests, for example, have short lifespans and need to reach destinations quickly,” he explained.
“We hope that within two years, we can connect Israeli hospitals. This could speed up deliveries of sensitive medical supplies like bone marrow transplants. These are highly complex and expensive deliveries on land,” said Regev. “Instead of having doctors or nurses accompany the delivery to make sure the taxi doesn’t stop in the sun, our aircraft whisks them to the lab or hospital in minutes.”
The marketplace is expanding for drones in health care. It is also apparent that the new niche will have many competitors looking for business.
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