Will drone delivery of medical supplies fly?

>>> RIGHT NOW ON WRAL, COULD A

DRONE SOMEDAY SAVE YOUR LIFE?

THEY MAY START USING DRONES TO

MEDICAL -- TRANSPORT MEDICAL

SUPPLIES TO HARD-TO-REACH AREAS

.

>> GOOD EVENING.

I AM GERALD OWENS.

>> AND I AM DEBORAH MORGAN.

CAPITAL BUREAU CHIEF LAURA

LESLIE JOINS US LIVE FROM THE

LEGISLATIVE BUILDING TO EXPLAIN

THIS PILOT PROGRAM.

>> Reporter: LAST YEAR THE FAA

CALLED ON STATE AND LOCAL

GOVERNMENTS TO PARTNER WITH

PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO COME UP

WITH IDEAS TO PILOT -- FOR

PILOT PROGRAMS AND WAYS TO

SAFELY INTEGRATE DRONES INTO

THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT.

THE PROPOSAL FOR NORTH CAROLINA

FROM -- WAS SUBMITTED LAST

MONTH.

WE SHOULD KNOW BY MAY IF NORTH

CAROLINA WILL BE THE TESTING

GROUND FOR TECHNOLOGY THAT IS

NEW TO THE UNITED STATES.

>> Reporter: DRONES ARE ALREADY

BEING USED TO DELIVER MEDICAL

SUPPLIES IN OTHER AREAS OF THE

WORLD.

THEY DELIVER BLOOD AND

MEDICATIONS QUICKLY TO AREAS

WHERE TRAVEL IS DIFFICULT AND

BRING BACK SAMPLES OR SLIDES

FOR TESTING TO SPEED UP

DIAGNOSIS.

SO FAR THEY HAVE NOT BEEN USED

FOR THAT IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT

OF TRANSPORTATION HAS SENT THE

FAA A GRANT APPLICATION TO

CHANGE THAT.

THEY ARE ALREADY USING DRONES

FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

>> WE KNOW FROM AN ENGINEERING

PURPOSE -- PERSPECTIVE THAT WE

CAN USE DRONES FOR MAPPING AND

WE CAN OBSERVE FLOODING AND WE

CAN SEE HOW BAD ROCKSLIDES ARE

BUT THERE HAS GOT TO BE OTHER

THINGS BESIDES ENGINEERING

USES.

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE IDEAS.

>> Reporter: A MEDICAL DELIVERY

DRONE PROGRAM IN AFRICA IS

CREDITED WITH SAVING LIVES IN

REMOTE AREAS.

THEY SAY THE PROGRAM COULD BE

JUST AS USEFUL IN NORTH

CAROLINA, ESPECIALLY IN HEAVY

TRAFFIC TO GET SUPPLIES FROM

ONE HOSPITAL TO ANOTHER AREA.>>

THIS WOULD BE GREAT IN AREAS

WITH HIGH CONGESTION IN

TRAFFIC.

OR IF YOU ARE GOING TO ERIE MORE

-- REMOTE LOCATION.

SO ANYTHING FROM DOWNTOWN URBAN

AREAS TO MOUNTAINS IN EASTERN

NORTH CAROLINA.

>> IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT

SAFETY THAT IS PART OF THE

PROPOSAL.

UNDER THE PROPOSAL THE DOT

WOULD WORK WITH START UPS

INCLUDING SOME IN THE TRIANGLE

TO TEST OUT AND DESIGN AN

UNMANNED TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

SYSTEM.

THAT WOULD INVOLVE FINDING WAYS

TO MAP THE LOCATIONS AND FLIGHT

PATHS OF THE DRONES AS THEY

RELATE TO CURRENT COMMERCIAL

TRAFFIC.