Medicus April 2016

T E C H N O L O G Y

Drones, driverless cars and bionic exoskeletons are all playing a significant role in the rapidly changing world of technology, says Chuck Thompson

Tremendous potential: HAL operates by reading small biosignals on the surface of the skin.

I n the last edition of Medicus , we discussed some of the upcoming tech breakthroughs that could dramatically change the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of health-related issues. While the arrival of virtual reality, advancements in 3D printing and ‘smarter’ wearable technology are all due in 2016, there are more exciting, revolutionary technologies that are just around the corner. In 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced the plans for Amazon Prime Air, an autonomous drone-based delivery system. The announcement surprised many – journalists were dubbing Prime Air as “vapourware”, a term used to describe a product that is announced but never manufactured. Detractors did have valid points – not only is the concept a logistical headache, current air regulations in most countries have fairly restrictive laws when it comes to drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). However, the company has persisted, and in 2015 the United States Federal Aviation Administration gave Amazon permission to begin testing in the US. While the media continues to focus on big companies such as Amazon and Google, one Silicon Valley start-up’s strides in the field have flown under the radar, despite some incredible success.

Over the past four years, Matternet has conducted field tests on the efficacy of delivering medical supplies via drone in disaster-stricken or hard-to-reach areas. After a successful initial flight delivering first-aid supplies in Tahiti, the World Health Organisation and the Bhutanese Government reached out to the company in a bid to improve access to health supplies in the Himalayan nation. Once again, the trials were successful – its quadcopters were able to travel 20km with 1kg loads in difficult weather – linking hospitals with hard-to-reach communities. Last month the company completed a trial with the Government of Malawi and UNICEF to improve HIV testing of infants. The trial was a success, reducing wait-times from weeks to days. While additional testing and improvements are needed – the impact UAVs could have on the delivery of medical supplies is huge. Western Australia has had higher fatality rates compared to the national figure every year since 2010. Out of the 161 reported deaths on our roads in 2015, the vast majority were due to human factors including speeding and intoxication. Consequently, there has been much discussion on how autonomous cars can improve safety on our roads.

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