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MassDOT’s Aeronautics Division announced the successful completion of tests for the use of drones for medical deliveries Monday — advancing another potential use of the unmanned aircrafts in Massachusetts.
“This medical delivery demonstration underscores the value of drones for many operational needs,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “Drones have already proven useful in operations, including MBTA track corridor inspections, MassDOT Highway bridge inspections, overhead project evaluations, and other needs. We continue to assess the use of drones for other purposes in the future.”
Three companies completed successful tests in which drones conducted medical delivery demonstrations transporting packages of up to 10 pounds from August to October 2024, MassDOT reported Monday.
The tests were intended to “explore and assess the future use of drones, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, (UAS) for small package delivery,” the department said. The focus was on deliveries relating to home-based healthcare and emergency medical response.
Drones are currently used through MassDOT Aeronautics across several state agencies, including the transportation department, MBTA, and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). The state’s drones, through MassDOT Aeronautics’ Drone Operations Program, “improve transportation safety, including for infrastructure inspection and incident response,” the department said.
Throughout the tests the participating drones carried the simulated payloads for at least one mile, successfully delivering the small packages, MassDOT detailed.
Several companies, including Amazon, DHL and FedEx have begun using drones for package deliveries. Amazon reports using drones for deliveries of packages up to five pounds in College Station, Texas, and parts of the Phoenix, Arizona area, depending on favorable weather conditions.
“This demonstration project reflects our commitment to exploring the use of drones to meet critical needs, such as the timely, cost-effective delivery of supplies and devices for health care and emergency management, across the Commonwealth,” MassDOT Aeronautics Acting Administrator Denise Garcia said.
The MassDOT announcement comes months after a rash of drone sightings across Massachusetts, as well as other northeastern states, a few arrests related to the operation of drones, and proposals related to the regulation of the aircrafts in the Bay State.
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