Investigating the Crash Protection Performance of a Medical Carrier Bag for Drone Transport

Fraser McLeod (), Tom Cherrett, Andy Oakey, Katherine Theobald, Tim Waters, Matt Grote, John Armstrong, Jack Denny and Alex Murray
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Fraser McLeod: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Tom Cherrett: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Andy Oakey: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Katherine Theobald: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Tim Waters: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Matt Grote: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
John Armstrong: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Jack Denny: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Alex Murray: Motion Robotics Limited, Southampton SO30 3DS, UK

Logistics, 2024, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-22

Abstract: Background: Drone transport regulations in Europe require a crash-protected container (CPC) to be used for the carriage of dangerous goods. With increasing interest in the use of drones for medical logistics, the motivation behind this research was to investigate whether the existing approved medical carriers could also pass as CPCs. To date, there has been little practical experimentation on or theoretical research into the crash protection performance of medical containers. Methods: Addressing this gap, this paper reports findings from a series of drop test experiments to investigate the crashworthiness of a standard medical carrier bag used by the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. Th drop tests were performed from heights of up to 122 m using standard medical carriers containing bags of dyed saline to examine the robustness of the carrier and whether it could contain any leakages, a key requirement for transporting dangerous goods. Results: The tests found that the medical carrier failed on some drops, with the zipped lid being identified as the main weakness. Conclusions: A new understanding of the carrier’s terminal velocity, impact acceleration, and failure mechanisms were gained and subsequent strengthening and waterproofing remedial measures recommended. New insights and practical recommendations are provided relating to performing formal drop tests and how to conduct these using a drone.

Keywords: drone logistics; crash protection; drop testing; dangerous goods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L8 L80 L81 L86 L87 L9 L90 L91 L92 L93 L98 L99 M1 M10 M11 M16 M19 R4 R40 R41 R49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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