By EMS1 Staff
PASADENA, Calif. — A group of researchers are currently developing an autonomous drone ambulance meant to transport patients.
CBS San Francisco reported that Caltech researchers have designed a “personal rescue system” that is meant to quickly transport a patient to a hospital or doctor, according to project director professor Mory Gharib.
The drone, which has been in the works for more than two years, will be the size of a small car that is piloted by an artificial intelligence system. It will also be equipped with sensors that will monitor a patient’s vitals during the trip.
Gharib said the artificial intelligence will be able to “basically negotiate with situations, reason and make the best decision in order to save the life of the person it carries.”
Researchers said the drone would be used to transport heart attack or stroke patients, or rescue victims from disaster areas.
Currently, a 1/5 scale model of the drone is being tested with a unique wall that simulates almost every kind of weather, and researchers hope to test a larger model by the end of the year.
The drone is predicted to be in use within three to five years.