Zipline’s fixed-wing drones are delivering medical supplies in North Carolina. [Image courtesy of Zipline]
There’s a new mode of last-mile delivery of medical products to patients and pharmacies made possible by a few neat feats of engineering.San Francisco-based Zipline and its fleet of Zip delivery drones are now flying for Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH), Novant Health and Magellan Rx Management from a hub in North Carolina.
The new Kannapolis, North Carolina distribution center — think of it like a medical fulfillment warehouse combined with a drone airport — is where orders are picked, packed and launched, reaching drop zones within a 7,800-square-mile area in as little as 15 minutes.
This aerial view of Zipline’s North Carolina distribution center shows the tall towers used to bring the drones back to the ground. [Photo co…