Workhorse plans to partner with USOG for pilot programs and drone delivery of medical supplies.

USOG (Unmanned Systems Operations Group, Inc), a unmanned mobile medical delivery logistics firm and Workhorse, a tech company focused on electric-mobility platforms seem to be a perfect fit as the two intend to deliver medical supplies via drones. The two companies have launched an initial pilot program in the San Diego area and intend to to provide programs for healthcare providers, pharmacies, and medical courier services. The training will help run Workhorse’s HorseFly program, a fully functional drone delivery system.

Workhorse’s HorseFly system integrates ground and air transportation.

HorseFly is a fully integrated delivery system that interfaces with the company’s NGEN electric delivery vehciles. The system is completely custom built and uses a high-efficiency UAV. USOG will offer the personal necessary to monitor multiple UAV flights while customers will be able to track the real-time delivery through an app. The app will real-time information such as the package’s location, vehicle status, and onboard video.

“USOG’s vision is to enable nationwide medical deliveries by UAV, and we couldn’t think of a better application for our HorseFly system,” said Workhorse CEO Duane Hughes. “We look forward to working closely with USOG as well as with the FAA and other key stakeholders on safe, secure, and timely deliveries in addition to maintaining patient privacy. While we recognize the immediate benefits of utilizing our technology in such a vital application, we’re also excited about the possibilities these types of deliveries can represent across a variety of industries and use cases on a much larger scale. As the only U.S. patented truck drone-launched system, we believe we are in an excellent position to take share in a number of nascent delivery markets.”

“This partnership represents a game-changing opportunity the broader medical field, which could set a new standard for more effective and timely patient treatment options empowered by drone logistics,” added USOG CEO Pharns Genece. “Workhorse has already delivered a complete system to us, and we are well-positioned to take advantage the FAA IPP program in the near term. Going forward, we will look to expand our work with innovative companies in one of the largest medical markets in the U.S. Our role in the chain of custody, when delivering or moving any medical cargo, is for our customers to be the number one priority. With Workhorse and its HorseFly^™ system, we believe we’ll be able to save more lives through the secure and timely delivery of medical assets via unmanned systems.”

Why it matters: The development of a multi-mode delivery system (including UAV) will ultimately offer better healthcare services for customers around the globe. Further, this partnership clearly indicates widespread commercial applications of UAV technologies are closer than we think. With the launching of pilot training programs and FAA operation certifications, the timeline for these technologies being introduced could be only months, rather than years.

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