US Drone Company Matternet Connects to Hospital Logistics Network

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 29, drone logistics company Matternet and TransLogic, a hospital transport automation company under Swisslog Healthcare, announced a partnership to integrate TransLogic's in-hospital pneumatic tube network with Matternet's M3 drone delivery platform, forming a single automated transport network extending from pneumatic tube stations inside hospitals to off-site satellite facilities, replacing the previous two separate and unconnected transport methods for in-hospital and off-site deliveries. In the first year of the partnership, the two parties will focus on introducing drone delivery services to hospital systems in California, Florida, and Arizona.

The core of the technical integration is connecting two previously separate transport systems. TransLogic provides in-hospital pneumatic tube systems, pharmacy automation, and specimen tracking; Matternet provides aerial delivery between facilities. After integration, a laboratory sample can be transported by drone from a remote clinic to a central laboratory, and then delivered to its final destination via the hospital's internal pneumatic tube system, without manual intervention at transfer points. Previously, hospitals used two independent methods for in-hospital and off-site transport of medications, laboratory samples, and critical supplies, and the goal of this partnership is to eliminate this fragmentation.

The technical specifications of the M3 drone platform were clarified in the partnership announcement. The platform has a payload capacity of 11 pounds (approximately 5 kilograms), a service radius of 10 miles (approximately 16 kilometers), and fully autonomous flight requiring no on-site operators. The M3 system consists of three parts: the M3 aircraft, the M3 Dock for storage and charging between flights (which can be installed on hospital rooftops or other unused spaces), and the M3 Portal for senders to drop off packages.

TransLogic's existing sales network is the commercial channel for this partnership. Swisslog Healthcare's automated transport systems operate in more than 2,300 hospitals in North America and more than 3,000 worldwide, including 18 of the top 20 hospitals in the United States. Under the agreement, TransLogic's sales team will promote Matternet's M3 system to this customer network. The two parties will also explore expanding the partnership to installation, technical support, and maintenance, with Swisslog Healthcare's field service organization providing installation services for Matternet's on-site hospital infrastructure.