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Norman Foster proposes 'drone ports' as a way to ship goods across Africa

BIM and Information Technology

Norman Foster proposes 'drone ports' as a way to ship goods across Africa

The structures would store cargo-shipping drones and serve as community centers.


By Mike Chamernik, Associate Editor | September 16, 2015
Norman Foster proposes Droneports as way to ship goods across Africa

Droneport renderings courstey Foster + Partners (via World Architecture Community)

Delivering supplies to Africans is a struggle because of the continent’s lack of roads and bridges.

Architect Norman Foster has proposed a solution. The Droneport project will carry cargo to remote areas by traversing mountains, lakes, rivers, and desert by unmanned aircraft, as World Architecture Community reports.

The drones can carry goods to places more than 100 kilometers, or 62 miles, away. The plan consists of two network services. The Redline will have smaller drones that will transport medical supplies, and the Blueline will be larger aircraft that will ship electronics, spare parts, and e-commerce.

The drones will land in structures called Droneports, which not only will store drones but also house health clinics, digital fabrication shops, and post and courier rooms.

The project is a collaboration between Redline partners led by Afrotech, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the Norman Foster Foundation, and Foster + Partners.

 

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