Africa innovates Magazine -AI4DEV - Flipbook - Page 9
P R I M E R O B O T I C S D R O N E S S E RV I C E S
As an archipelago of 10 islands, access to remote areas of Cape Verde to deliver goods
and services can be very difficult even at the best of times. During the COVID-19 pandemic,
it has become increasingly worse, immensely affecting most outer islanders.
This drone, designed by a 30-year-old university lecturer and computer scientist, Erico Fortes
Pinheiro, is not only being used to deliver services to these isolated areas, but also to
disinfect and spot areas in urgent need.
Our objective is to offer fast, effective,
innovative, and safe technological, versatile
and multifunctional aerial vehicles.
Due to the geographic isolation of many areas, the
Cape Verdean population’s access to health services is
inherently destabilized. Most health services are affected,
including the delivery of medicines and medical samples
for analysis at hospital labs.
Erico set up his start-up Prime Robotics to provide his
versatile drones for logistics and agricultural services
purposes.
With the emergence of COVID-19 Erico and his
partners have now repurposed Prime Robotics to medical
logistics, to help counter problems created by
the COVID-19 onslaught in the islands.
The drones have been redesigned and re-engineered,
so that during the pandemic, they can be used to disinfect streets, transport medicines, light medical equipment,
samples, as well as other essential goods to cater for
those isolated in remote island areas. Prime Robotics is
also currently producing face-shields and is looking for
partners to upscale its production capacity.
SHOWCASING AFRICAN INNOVATION
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