On December 10, Meituan Drones, working hand - in - hand with Shanghai Renji Hospital, accomplished the first - ever drone delivery of medical samples within the city of Shanghai. Two drones lifted off from the East and North Branches of Renji Hospital respectively, ferrying medical test samples to the South and East Branches. This event marked the official commencement of the first regular drone - based medical delivery routes in Shanghai.

In the past, the transportation of samples relied heavily on ground vehicles. This method was not only expensive but also highly susceptible to traffic jams, which could cause significant delays. In contrast, drone delivery has brought about a substantial boost in efficiency.

Take, for instance, the 14.5 - kilometer journey from the East Branch to the South Branch. Ground transportation used to take 45 minutes, while drones can complete the same trip in a mere 23 minutes. Similarly, for the 4 - kilometer trip from the North Branch to the East Branch, ground vehicles would spend 19 minutes on the road, whereas drones can finish it in just 8 minutes.