TransLogic and Matternet partner on hospital drone logistics

The partnership is meant to link pneumatic tube stations inside hospitals with external satellite facilities, reducing reliance on fragmented manual deliveries. TransLogic's sales team will introduce Matternet's M3 systems to its customer network of more than 3,000 hospitals worldwide, including over 2,300 in North America.

During the first year, the companies will focus on introducing drone delivery services to hospital networks in California, Florida and Arizona. The M3 platform can carry packages weighing up to 11 pounds over a 10-mile radius; the drones operate autonomously and are stored and recharged between flights in compact docking stations that can be installed on hospital rooftops or other available space.

Matternet has been providing drone delivery services for healthcare systems since 2017 in Europe and 2019 in the US, transporting laboratory samples, vaccines, pathology specimens and specialised pharmaceuticals. The system is designed to complement Swisslog Healthcare's existing pneumatic tube networks, creating an integrated delivery network connecting hospitals, laboratories, pharmacies and clinics.

The companies will also explore extending their collaboration to installation, technical support and maintenance, with Swisslog Healthcare potentially providing on-site installation services through its field service network.