ANRA Technologies advances medical package delivery using drones in Scotland

ANRA Technologies announce its significant role in successfully completing the two-year Care & Equity, Healthcare Logistics UAS project, funded by UK Research and Innovation. This groundbreaking two-phase initiative focused on advancing airspace integration and delivery management services for drones delivering medical products for the National Health System Scotland, paving the way for scalable, safe, and efficient drone operations in the United Kingdom.

ANRA’s contributions centered around supporting the development and validation of airspace management solutions using Unmanned Traffic Management and delivery management systems. The company’s cutting-edge Delivery Management System (DMS), integrated with its UTM platform, enabled complex Beyond Visual Line of Sight medical delivery operations, connecting key stakeholders such as NHS Scotland, delivery drone operators, and end users.

Key achievements and contributions from ANRA include:

• Enhancing NHS Operations: ANRA’s DMS facilitated seamless coordination between NHS customers, suppliers, and drone operators, validating the system’s ability to support critical medical use cases.
• Participation in Four CAELUS Trials: ANRA supported and participated in major trials across Scotland, including Glasgow Airport, Crosshouse to Arran, Edinburgh to the Borders, and Aberdeen to Elgin.
• UTM-ATM Interoperability Solutions: Leveraging its expertise in open interoperability standards, ANRA developed and tested UTM-ATM interoperability solutions during the Crosshouse and Aberdeen trials. These trials showcased the ability to integrate drone operations within existing air traffic management frameworks.

The CAELUS project achieved groundbreaking results by reaching several critical milestones. Notably, ANRA’s UTM platform was successfully integrated into the project’s Concept of Operations (ConOps), establishing a solid foundation for future airspace management frameworks. Additionally, the project demonstrated the execution of complex BVLOS operations, with ANRA’s DMS, enabling seamless data exchanges with ATM systems. This capability ensured efficient and safe drone flights in highly regulated airspace, as showcased during the Crosshouse and Aberdeen trials.

One of the project’s most notable achievements was completing the UK’s longest onshore BVLOS drone flight. The operation featured two segments, with an intermediate landing at a charging station, managed entirely through ANRA’s integrated DMS and UTM solutions. This accomplishment demonstrates ANRA’s commitment to enabling reliable drone operations for essential services and their interoperability with multiple technology partners. 

“We are proud to have contributed to the CAELUS project and its transformative work in advancing drone integration for medical deliveries,” said Dr. Ajay Modha, Head of Business UK at ANRA Technologies. “The successful trials and demonstrations highlight how our solutions can enable scalable, safe, and efficient drone operations, particularly in critical use cases like healthcare.”

The CAELUS project’s success represents a major step forward in realizing the potential of drones to enhance healthcare delivery, reduce transportation times, and improve patient outcomes in the UK and beyond. Led by AGS Airports, ANRA was honored and grateful to have supported terrific partners during CAELUS 1 and 2 that included: 

• AGS Airports
• NHS Scotland
  Atkins
• Cellnex
• Commonplace
• Connected Places Catapult
• DGP Intelsius
• Dronamics
• Arup
• Planefinder
• Skyports
• The DroneOffice
• NATS
• Trax International
• University of Strathclyde