Experts at the University of Maryland have , for the first time , used a drone to successfully deliver a kidney to an organ transplant patient at Baltimore 's St Agnes Hospital . The short , 2.7-mile test flight was the culmination of more than 700 hours of work and 44 test flights . With all that, it may have been less risky than transporting the organ by ambulance and certainly quicker. Anthony Smith , director of the UMD test operations , said the drones enabled real - time monitoring of the organ , and could reduce waiting times as well as improve access to transplants .
Experts at the University of Maryland have , for the first time , used a drone to successfully deliver a kidney to an organ transplant patient at Baltimore 's St Agnes Hospital . The short , 2.7-mile test flight was the culmination of more than 700 hours of work and 44 test flights . Anthony Smith , director of the UMD test operations , said the drones enabled real - time monitoring of the organ , and could reduce waiting times as well as improve access to transplants .