Delivering supplies to Africans is a struggle because of the continent’s lack of roads and bridges.
Architect Norman Foster has proposed a solution. The Droneport project will carry cargo to remote areas by traversing mountains, lakes, rivers, and desert by unmanned aircraft, as World Architecture Community reports.
The drones can carry goods to places more than 100 kilometers, or 62 miles, away. The plan consists of two network services. The Redline will have smaller drones that will transport medical supplies, and the Blueline will be larger aircraft that will ship electronics, spare parts, and e-commerce.
The drones will land in structures called Droneports, which not only will store drones but also house health clinics, digital fabrication shops, and post and courier rooms.
The project is a collaboration between Redline partners led by Afrotech, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the Norman Foster Foundation, and Foster + Partners.
Related Stories
AEC Tech | Apr 15, 2016
Should architects learn to code?
Even if learning to code does not personally interest you, the growing demand for having these capabilities in an architectural business cannot be overlooked, writes computational design expert Nathan Miller.
Building Tech | Apr 12, 2016
Should we be worried about a tech slowdown?
Is the U.S. in an innovative funk, or is this just the calm before the storm?
BIM and Information Technology | Apr 8, 2016
Turner streamlines construction progress tracking using predictive visual data analytics
The construction giant teams with a computer science and engineering professor to develop a clever drone- and rover-based construction monitoring tool.
BIM and Information Technology | Apr 5, 2016
Interactive 3D map shows present and future Miami skyline
The Downtown Miami Interactive 3-D Skyline Map lets users see the status of every downtown office, retail, residential, and hotel project.
AEC Tech | Mar 31, 2016
Deep Learning + AI: How machines are becoming master problem solvers
Besides revolutionary changes to the world’s workforce, artificial intelligence could have a profound impact on the built environment and the AEC industry.
Big Data | Mar 28, 2016
Predictive analytics: How design firms can benefit from using data to find patterns, trends, and relationships
Branden Collingsworth, HDR’s new Director of Predictive Analytics, clarifies what his team does and how architecture projects can benefit from predictive analytics.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 21, 2016
Latest tech devices simplify the leap from BIM to virtual reality
Faster conversion times and higher-quality graphics are enabling VR to make the jump from novelty to necessity in the AEC world.
AEC Tech | Mar 15, 2016
Two to tango: Project Tango isn’t just for entertainment, it also has a wide range of possibilities relating to the professional world
Making things like augmented reality, precise measurements of indoor spaces, and indoor wayfinding possible, Google’s Project Tango has all the makings to become a useful and ubiquitous tool in the AEC market.
BIM and Information Technology | Mar 14, 2016
Visual estimating, generative design, and component construction push the limits of BIM/VDC
DPR Construction, JE Dunn, and The Living advance the AEC industry with three clever tech solutions.
Drones | Mar 9, 2016
A new image-capturing platform mediates drone and cloud technologies
3DRobotics, Autodesk, and Sony launch Site Scan to speed the process of making models from field data.
