Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Blood Delivery: A UAV Fleet Design Tool and Case Study

Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, flown for medical resupply missions by the military can bring meaningful benefits to a blood supply network that is large and complex. The authors assess the utility and design of autonomous UAVs-specifically, small fixed-wing aircraft-and search for an optimal fleet design by examining payloads and cost models for two missions: logistical resupply and emergency delivery of blood.