The world’s first airport for drones will become a hub for shipping emergency supplies to people in remote parts of Rwanda.
“Droneport” is designed to ship cargo by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to places where roads are unreliable or don’t even exist, giving people access to medication and healthcare previously available only rarely.
The open, vaulted airport structure will be built by locals, using local materials.
The hub will allow people to build, service, and dispatch two types of drones (pictured at left).
The smaller “Redline” will deliver lightweight, critical supplies such as blood, the larger “Blueline” will deliver larger loads that aren’t as urgent.
The UAVs will be able to reach roughly half of Rwanda’s population from Droneport.
Foster + Partners teamed with Afrotech to envision the hub and the concept for the unmanned aerial delivery network, which they believe could be a major paradigm shift for the delivery of physical goods. Construction will start next year.
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Eventually, the designers see Droneports becoming more commonplace across remote parts of the world, acting as refueling and repair stops for drones the same way gas stations have become part of the infrastructure of highway traffic.
(READ more at BBC News) — Photos: Foster + Partners
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