Fleets of drones carrying crucial goods such as medicine will soon streak the skies of Rwanda, putting the small east-central African country at the forefront of a technological revolution.
Designed to be cheap, simple and robust, the drones will have payloads of up to 100 kg (220lb), while the droneports will function as hubs to allow recharging, cargo loading and dropoff, as well as repairs.
With the project expected to break ground in 2016, a functioning drone delivery network could be in place as early as 2020.
Designed to be cheap, simple and robust, the drones will have payloads of up to 100 kg (220lb), while the droneports will function as hubs to allow recharging, cargo loading and dropoff, as well as repairs.
With the project expected to break ground in 2016, a functioning drone delivery network could be in place as early as 2020.
The project is the brainchild of Jonathan Ledgard, head of the Afrotech project at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), and world-renowned British architect Norman Foster.
"I went to Norman because I knew that there was no one else on the planet better suited than him to design this," Ledgard told CNN.
"I said, you designed the largest airport in the world -- now build me the smallest."
"I went to Norman because I knew that there was no one else on the planet better suited than him to design this," Ledgard told CNN.
"I said, you designed the largest airport in the world -- now build me the smallest."
The buildings are designed to be extremely easy to construct, with architects Forster+Partners leveraging on their experience with airports -- they created the world's largest airport terminal in Beijing -- as well as more outlandish projects such as one involving a 3D-printed moon base that they designed with the European Space Agency.
All the raw materials will be sourced on site, reducing transportation costs, with the droneport consisting of a 'kit-of-parts' that can be easily assembled by local communities.
All the raw materials will be sourced on site, reducing transportation costs, with the droneport consisting of a 'kit-of-parts' that can be easily assembled by local communities.
"Rwanda's challenging geographical and social landscape makes it an ideal test-bed for the Droneport project," said Norman Foster while presenting the initiative, which he reckons could have "a massive impact through the century and save lives immediately."
"The droneport itself will be a mix between a railway station, a petrol station, a blacksmith shop and a post office," said Ledgard, who points out that the network will provide distribution hubs rather the a "last mile" delivery infrastructure.
"Nobody cares about the last mile in Africa," he says, highlighting the difference between the droneport idea and what Amazon and other vendors are planning to do with drones in Western markets, where unmanned aerial vehicles are touted to be the next innovative step in the final delivery of consumer goods of any type, including pizza.
"Nobody cares about the last mile in Africa," he says, highlighting the difference between the droneport idea and what Amazon and other vendors are planning to do with drones in Western markets, where unmanned aerial vehicles are touted to be the next innovative step in the final delivery of consumer goods of any type, including pizza.
Each droneport will take two to three years to build, at a projected cost of about $300,000.
"We wanted a concept that was really cheap," said Ledgard, "and the drones themselves will contain a tiny amount of super high-tech and a lot of low-tech."
Built to be robust, economical and simple to repair, they will be powered by electric engines and have a fixed wing design, more closely resembling commercial planes rather than quadrocopters.
"We wanted a concept that was really cheap," said Ledgard, "and the drones themselves will contain a tiny amount of super high-tech and a lot of low-tech."
Built to be robust, economical and simple to repair, they will be powered by electric engines and have a fixed wing design, more closely resembling commercial planes rather than quadrocopters.
The idea could have a great impact on the local economies of developing African countries: "This is a multi-billion dollar industry, without question," said Ledgard.
For the initial applications, the team is looking at blood for transfusions and other life-giving supplies such as pharmaceuticals. But the network could then extend to perishable goods and e-commerce purchases.
For the initial applications, the team is looking at blood for transfusions and other life-giving supplies such as pharmaceuticals. But the network could then extend to perishable goods and e-commerce purchases.
Droneports aren't intended to replace road networks in Africa, but increase their capacity: "Road systems are going to improve a bit in the future, but not enough to move the economy along," said Ledgard.
"But even increasing your transportation capacity by a small percentage can be beneficial, especially for high value, perishable goods."
"But even increasing your transportation capacity by a small percentage can be beneficial, especially for high value, perishable goods."
While the project is progressing rapidly, Ledgard offers a word of caution: "We want to emphasize that there are still a lot of questions," he said.
"But we're making good progress: We intend to break ground next year, and I would be very disappointed it if we didn't."
"But we're making good progress: We intend to break ground next year, and I would be very disappointed it if we didn't."
Two types of drones have been designed, with a larger version capable of a 100kg payload to enter service in a second phase, around 2025.
They will fly at a projected speed of about 90 km/h over lakes, rivers and mountain ridges, and offer extremely competitive costs compared to road transportation.
They will fly at a projected speed of about 90 km/h over lakes, rivers and mountain ridges, and offer extremely competitive costs compared to road transportation.
For the network to be functional, three droneports are needed, and they would be able to cover a significant portion of rural Rwanda.
Ledgard, whose intimate knowledge of the continent also comes from a decade of work as news correspondent from troubled areas, envisions the idea to soon expand to other countries, with Angola, Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire as ideal candidates.
But the droneports would be useful outside of Africa as well, wherever road networks are limited, such as in Siberia, parts of Brazil and Argentina, Canada and even the North of Scotland.
Ledgard, whose intimate knowledge of the continent also comes from a decade of work as news correspondent from troubled areas, envisions the idea to soon expand to other countries, with Angola, Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire as ideal candidates.
But the droneports would be useful outside of Africa as well, wherever road networks are limited, such as in Siberia, parts of Brazil and Argentina, Canada and even the North of Scotland.
