Drones in Shenzhen are delivering more than food and drinks — they are playing a crucial role in saving lives by delivering automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to designated locations within several parks.
A drone prepares for an AED delivery mission at a landing site in Tanglang Mountain Country Park.
According to the city’s urban management authority, this recently launched initiative aims to leverage digital technologies to enhance Shenzhen's emergency response system. The first model of its kind in China, it is helping establish a "5-minute rescue circle" in the city.
Currently, drone-delivered AEDs are available in five parks, namely Tanglang Mountain Country Park, Fenghuang Mountain Forest Park, Shiyan Wetland Park, Luotian Forest Park, and Fuhai River Park. Each park plans to establish 30 landing sites for AEDs. In the event of an emergency, individuals can scan a QR code at these sites and have an AED delivered within five minutes.
An AED device and first-aid kit are securely housed in a box, ready for drone delivery.
Given the dense vegetation and high visitor traffic in parks, landing drones can be risky. To address this, the AEDs, housed in a box, are either lowered to the ground via a long cable or dropped directly to the ground, according to the service operator.
Simulations indicate that one drone can cover a radius of up to four kilometers within within five minutes — an approximately 50-square-kilometer area that would require 150 fixed AEDs to achieve the same coverage. These drones will enhance accessibility to emergency medical resources and improve emergency response efficiency.
A QR code enabling visitors to request an AED drone in case of an emergency at Tanglang Mountain Country Park.