Tech roundup: Drones to transport biological material in Brazil

Welcome to our Tech Roundup, where we bring you Brazil’s biggest stories on technology and innovation. This week: The use of drones could lead to a logistical revolution in Brazilian scientific research.

Brazilian project tests use of drones to transport biological materials

In the not-so-distant future, biological materials could be transported via drones in Brazil. The idea, which could revolutionize logistics in the medical and scientific sectors, comes from a project by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a federal biological institute, developed with the innovation lab H4ndsLab and the Federal District Research Support Foundation. 

Why it matters. “Due to several factors, such as Brazil having a very large territorial extension, many accentuated differences between terrains, and an inefficient rail network, the existing logistics for scientists in Brazil ends up hindering the evolution of science itself in the country,” says Luis Eduardo Ludgero, H4ndsLab’s founder, speaking to The Brazilian Report. 

The goal. Mr. Ludgero says the project’s ultimate goal is to create a new and exclusive logistics network for scientists, with drones taking care of all the last-mile transportation of biological material. 

• The entire transport process would also be recorded in an NFT (non-fungible token) to ensure the project’s safety and allow for greater laboratory validation.
• In the future, the project...