NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

After the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, people living in some mountain villages waited weeks for emergency food to arrive. Landslides had taken out roads, and the country’s limited number of helicopters couldn’t always safely fly where they were needed.

Delivery drones would have helped. That’s one reason why Nigel Gifford—part of the U.K.-based team that developed an early version of Facebook’s solar-powered drones—is now working on a cheap drone to bring food and other humanitarian supplies to disaster zones.

Because the drone, called the Pouncer, is designed for one-way delivery, it can be broken down and reused when it arrives. Chop up the lightweight plywood frame, and it becomes kindling for a fire to cook the food. The wings themselves are packed with meals. The protective covers around the food can be used in shelters.