Emergency medical drones will be put into operation

South Korea's National Parks Service plans to begin using unmanned aerial vehicles by 2020 to deliver first aid supplies to the mountainous areas. The country expects to buy 32 quadcopters in total.

According to representatives of the National Parks Service, which are part of the Ministry of the Environment, the use of drones with a number of advantages is sometimes the only way to help. The unmanned aerial vehicle has great mobility and is quicker to arrive at its destination than ambulances. In addition, the drones can deliver medicines to where the medical helicopter cannot reach.

The drones will be equipped with a medicine box and a defibrillator to help tourists in the remote mountains. The device locates those who need help using GPS technology, while infrared and thermal cameras allow accurate positioning of the injured.

The effectiveness of the use of drones for the delivery of first aid supplies was tested in the Pukhansan park near Seoul, which is popular among mountain tourism lovers. The first drones were delivered in December 2018.

A number of unmanned aerial vehicles systems, including GPS, will be upgraded. The representative of the park service said the designers are continuing their research. The final delivery time will depend on their results.