A British transport specialist and entrepreneur has launched an "edible" unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that transports food to people in distress.
UAV Pouncer is made of plastic material made from edible starch. Nigel Gifford, the inventor of the vehicle, said a plane of this type transported enough food to 80 people a day.
The pouncer has a wingspan of 3m, divided into multiple compartments that can accommodate food, water and medical supplies. The pouncer can be launched from a military plane and landed in the affected area within hours of a disaster.
UAV Pouncer is made of plastic material made from edible starch.
A Hercules C-130 transport aircraft can carry up to 90 UAV Pouncers. When dropped from an altitude of 3048 meters, they can slide over 35 kilometers and deliver essential supplies to more than 7,000 victims. The in-position navigation system helps the vehicle to land within a specified range of 7 meters.
TIMES magazine editor Nigel Gifford said, "The airplane model was inspired by the skateboarding of parachute jumpers, and I was a parachute myself, and before that I had the experience. The Pouncer is probably best suited to the 2015 Nepal earthquake disaster. You can let these UAVs land in the valley and provide food. For villages that are isolated by disaster, this facility also serves the war zone of Aleppo. "
Gifford said the Pouncer project has attracted attention from many medical organizations such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.
Previously, the company also succeeded in building the Aquila drone and was acquired by Facebook in 2014.
Despite the wingspan of the passenger aircraft, Aquila weighs only 453 kg and can fly for 90 days. The mission of this device is to provide Internet for underground users.
