Flying Vehicle Startup to Develop Pilotless Blood Delivery for US Army

Flying vehicle company Lift Aircraft has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army to design a pilotless vehicle to deliver blood supply for battlefield needs.

Lift is partnering with Near Earth Autonomy to create the autonomous delivery of critical medical supplies immediately following trauma when rapid medical intervention is needed.

Lift and Near Earth are developing delivery methods using proven technologies that include vital climate-control capabilities to maintain blood temperatures and vital signs tracking monitors.

At the end of the contract, Lift intends to demonstrate a modular medical payload transported by air and ground vehicles.

Lift plans to use its Hexa Cargo platform, which has been tested by the U.S. Air Force.

The actual Lift Hexa has 18 independent motors, a single joystick for operation and is capable of landing on both land and water.

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Adapting the Hexa for the medical mission could include trading the passenger compartment for a module that could be used to carry medical supplies and provide evacuation services for casualties.

"After multiple contracts with the U.S. Air Force, we’re thrilled to continue our work alongside the Army with broad implications for the wider Department of Defense,” said Matt Chasen, founder and CEO of Lift. “Our selection for this project underscores our readiness to expand into broad defense applications. We are confident that this collaboration will ensure swift, autonomous delivery of blood and evacuation services for casualties, and will ultimately save lives.”

Related:Flying Vehicle Takes to the Skies in Tokyo

The Lift Hexa eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle) vehicle was designed in 2017 and has been shown and demonstrated around the world. 

It recently was flown in Tokyo as a demonstration hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The Lift electric aerial vehicle (EAV) is in the category that does not require a pilot’s license to fly it.

The Hexa also was featured and flown at the annual Sun ‘N Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, earlier this year at the week-long event that attracted 200,000 attendees.

Lift had been offering public flights in the Hexa for several weeks at the airport in Lakeland in advance of the event, which featured continuous air shows, flight demonstrations, hundreds of exhibits and lots of emerging aerial technology.

Some of the Lift early testing was done with the military, Chasen told me recently.

At the Florida event, local residents had a chance to personally fly the EAV. They attended a 45-minute instruction class followed by a flight in the simulator in preparation to fly the vehicle. 

Related:Flying Vehicle Showcased at Sun ‘N Fun Expo, Florida

Most of the public flights were sold out.

The Tokyo flights were conducted with Lift partner Marubeni Corporation, which has been working with Lift since 2021 to develop the flying vehicle for the Japanese market.

Under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules, flying vehicles such as Lift fall under the ultralight category of FAA Part 103, which limits capable vehicle speed to 63 mph, requires only a single occupant and does not require any training or previous experience prior to operating a vehicle. 

However, the flying vehicle makers require training before allowing their vehicles to be flown.