Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Locating Drone Battery Supply Stations To Facilitate The Delivery Of Medical Supplies In Low And Middle-Income Countries, Madeline Suellentrop

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the sub-Saharan region of Africa, the inability to perform emergency blood transfusions due to an inadequate blood supply has led to high fatality rates, especially among women and children. The prevalence of disease in this region limits the supply of local blood donations and, if blood is imported, then the region’s poor infrastructure inhibits fast distribution. There is a need for a technological update in the current process that overcomes the limitations of regional transportation, and drones present one promising solution for delivering small, lightweight items such as blood units. The current focus of this new delivery method is …