The Pulse: July 14, 2021

Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) announced agreements with Edmonton International Airport (EIA) and two courier companies on July 8 to deploy delivery drones out of the airport.

The remotely piloted vehicles will take packages of up to 4.54 kilograms from the airport to a landing zone in Nisku that is yet to be decided on by the couriers using the service: Apple Express and Ziing Final Mile.

Michael Zahra, CEO of DDC, told Taproot that while the initial agreement will see the delivery drones flying just one route, the service can be scaled up and applied to other delivery services in the future.

Myron Keehn, EIA's vice-president of air service and business development, also sees potential to broaden the service. He told Taproot that drones and other unmanned vehicles are going to be a large part of the airport's operations going forward, as they become more popular in supply chains.

"If you fast forward to the future 10 years from now, you will have autonomous systems delivering packages by road, by air, and by individual robots within buildings," he predicted.

One of the largest benefits of using drones, which are electrically powered, is that they can mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with last-mile delivery — to the customer's business or home — which is typically done by trucks.

"It has the largest effect on the environment," Keehn said. "Because it's individual — you're taking one package at a time."

A 2020 study from the World Economic Forum found that using electric vehicles for last-mile delivery can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions related to package delivery by up to 60%.

• A statue of Emily Murphy that was covered with red paint has been cleaned. In a statement, city manager Andre Corbould said he understood Edmontonians' frustrations, but asked residents to be patient as the city listens to concerns and revises its naming and statuary policies.
• The city recognized the life and legacy of Mary Burlie, a social worker and activist by declaring July 13 as Mary Burlie Day. Dubbed the 'Black Angel of Boyle Street', Burlie spent 26 years as a frontline worker at the Boyle Street Co-op until her death in 1996.
• A rally was held outside the Varscona Hotel on Whyte Avenue on Tuesday, in support of staff at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown Hotel in B.C. The workers have been locked out of their jobs for 12 weeks. Both hotels are owned by DSDL Canada Investments.
• Edmonton won two Awards for Planning Excellence from the Canadian Institute of Planners. The city was recognized for the City of Edmonton Open Option Parking project and the Edmonton City Plan.
• More than half of the private sector applications made under the Critical Worker Benefit program were rejected, as of May 5. Applications are open until July 23, but critics say the program is riddled with inconsistencies.
• The province is lifting COVID-19 restrictions in long-term care homes, starting with visitor restrictions, limits to dining and recreation activities, and the need for additional screening for off-site visits. As of Tuesday, there were only six active cases in continuing care facilities.

A University of Alberta pilot project is exploring whether combining a commercially available device with artificial intelligence can predict chronic respiratory symptoms in patients.

The ADAMM RSM monitoring technology was originally developed by Health Care Originals for asthma patients. The device is worn on a person's torso, underneath clothes.

"The goal of this study is to see if the device is user-friendly enough to use at least three days per week for six months, which is the standard minimal follow-up time for respiratory diseases," project lead Dr. Giovanni Ferrara told Taproot.

The device is "able to track clinical signs and symptoms in an objective way, helping to inform treatment decisions tailored to patients' needs, thus providing a more precise control of their disease."

Researchers plan to enroll 40 patients with chronic lung diseases in the study. "Every patient will be enrolled for six months, so to complete this study we expect at least 12 to 18 months, depending on the speed of enrollment," said Dr. Ferrara.

Ferrara, who is also a professor with the University of Alberta Hospital's Division of Pulmonary Medicine, noted that Edmonton's innovation network makes this study possible.

"This environment is quintessential to enable real digital innovation in health," he said.