ONE WAY TO CUT BACK ON THE COSTS OF EMS delivery is to eliminate positions.  It is possible that the duty of “ambulance driver” could be one of those cutbacks.  Many inventions and innovations that benefit our society have begun as military projects and were developed and tested in demanding environments.

Currently undergoing field testing is an unmanned flying machine called the Air-Mule, that is capable of carrying a litter patient away from the battleground and back to a hospital. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who are working on this project, has just issued a report on this new vehicle.  It says, in part:

The Air-Mule UAV which assists in medical evacuation has recently passed its initial flight tests. The new UAV, which weighs a ton, will be able to carry equipment and fly into complicated places, such as in urban areas and crevices. In addition to that, the Air-Mule takes off vertically, similar to a helicopter, and its stability will be guaranteed by a unique flight supervision system.

Urban Aeronautics, the company producing the UAV, is one of the world’s leading companies in the development of propellers which are installed inside the aircraft instead of outside. The advantage of this location of the propeller is that it allows the aircraft to carry out a wider range of operations in narrow places as well – as opposed to conventional airplanes and helicopters which can only operate in open areas.

“The number one cause of aerial accidents is damage caused to the rotor, and we managed to overcome this obstacle,” says the CEO of Urban Aeronautics, Dr. Rafi Yoeli.

The technologic devices included in the Air-Mule also give it additional abilities: Two laser sensors indicate the flight altitude, and a modern technology allows the operators to receive real time information on the motor activity of the aircraft. In addition, the secondary technology of the Air-Mule includes a communication device facilitating contact between the aircraft and its operators on the ground.

During the tests, the Air-Mule succeeded in overcoming difficult weather conditions, and the test team was very satisfied with its flight abilities during a storm that occurred at the test area. The Air-Mule is currently undergoing additional tests further examining its stability and its ability to fly between two previously defined locations.

Here is an animated video showing the projected use of the Air-Mule in combat conditions:

This video shows a sub-scale mock-up vehicle being flown at Urban’s facility:

This video records the first prototype engine test last Spring:

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