A 21st-Century Stretcher

MedUAV is like a flying first aid kit. Once the patient is hooked up to the medical equipment, a doctor at a medical center can read all the vital measurements and guide the field worker. After initial medication is given, the patient is strapped in and flown back without endangering a flight crew. It provides hover lift at zero airspeed, cruises to up to 150 knots at a max altitude of about 10,000 feet (3,050 meters) for up to three hours, and holds four patients. The US Navy and other military organizations have shown much interest.

Dr. Eran Schenker, head of the institute’s Aerospace Medicine Research Center explains MedUAV’s advantage over a helicopter: “It’s a much smaller target, and thus harder to shoot down.” Because it hovers, it can also be used in civilian emergencies such as earthquakes or train and bus crashes where massive debris makes human access or landing of larger vehicles impossible.

For more information: www.fisherinstitute.org.il; Eran@FisherInstitute.org.il; (972) 52-668-9944.

By Charleeda Sprinkle, Assistant Editor