Summary Draft 1

 The webpage “Zipline (drone delivery)” from Handwiki (n.d) gives a general overview of the specifications of the zipline drone. The main goal of the drone is the delivery of medical supplies to less accessible or rural areas of the country. 

When a delivery is scheduled, the distribution center packs the package with a parachute

A main feature of the drone would be the “supercapacitor-powered electric catapult launcher” which launches the drone to 133km/h in 0.33 seconds.  The drone is autonomous and able to reach its destination independently. 

When delivering a package, the drone is programmed to descend to 20-35 meters above ground and drops the package with a parachute. On its return trip, the drone lands short distances by catching on to an arresting gear. 

A maximum payload of 1.75 kilograms and a cruising speed of 101km/h at an altitude of 80-120 meters above ground enables the drone to make deliveries within 45 minutes and up to 500 deliveries per day.  

Fast turnaround flights are possible due to the “quickly replaceable batteries”.

With its inner carbon-fiber frame and outer polystyrene shell, the drone remains lightweight. Furthermore, two redundant propellers are installed as a backup.

A major feature is an ability to fly with just a single motor or propeller after the other fails. In the event of a total system failure, the drone is able to deploy a parachute. The drone is also frangible due to its materials, allowing a softer impact on the ground when crashing. Due to the complexity and its human-centered design, it is clear that the zipline drone has an upper hand over its other counterparts in the healthcare drone development field.

As aforementioned, the “supercapacitor-powered electric catapult launcher” is of paramount importance and significantly contributes to the short distance takeoff and greatly reduces the minimal space needed for the drone to become airborne. According to a report titled “A Hybrid Power System for Unmade Aerial Vehicle Electromagnetic Launcher”   by Whiren Wang, Jun Wu, and Shengjun Huang(2018), a hybrid energy storage system consisting of a battery, charging circuit, supercapacitor, discharge circuit, and a linear motor allows the catapult system to work as designed, readying another drone for launch immediately. 

A major feature of the drone would be the motor and propeller redundancies. The implementation of redundancies gives an added sense of safety to the stakeholders and users of the drone. Furthermore, the ability of the drone to fly without a motor or propeller ensures that the drone would remain sturdy in adverse situations. 

The carbon-fiber frame and outer polystyrene shell enable the body of the drone to be lightweight and strong. Furthermore, according to diaelectricmfg.com(n.d), polystyrene’s electrical properties are good and have relatively low heat resistance. Moreover, it is rigid, brittle, and moderately strong. With reference to the article “Fabrication and Properties of Carbon Fibers, by Huang (2009), Carbon fibers have” good tensile properties, low densities, high thermal and chemical stabilities”, and excellent thermal and electrical conductivities The combination of both the materials allow for a well-rounded drone that can operate in rough terrain and adverse weather. The Lightweight material enhances the range and increases the payload of the drone. The brittle nature of the polystyrene allows for the fragmentation of the drone’s body with the ground, allowing for softer impact with infrastructure or humans on the ground, resulting in safer flying and operation. 

Thus, with the combined capabilities and features, the Zipline drone is the ideal drone for delivering medical supplies and is essential for providing an enhancement to the efficiency of medical services globally.