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sydney based studio HDR develops a flying hospital concept for disaster relief

the ‘mobile acute service hospital’ (MASH) has been designed by HDR in an effort to address the need for delivering essential equipment and supplies to disaster zones.

the concept considers that advances in technology and preventive care will vastly reduce the number of physical healthcare facilities required in the future, but the need for emergency care to sites of man-made conflicts or natural disasters will continue to persist. the design team’s solution looks at providing a quick and effective response without the time-consuming exercise of setting up temporary tent facilities.

MASH is envisioned by HDR as an independent pod-based system of drones that can be assembled anywhere without relying on existing infrastructure. the system can hover above disaster zones, below the cruising altitude of commercial aircraft and at a safe distance from potential danger. the ‘facility’ would be assembled from a series of modular clinical and support pods that can be linked together to create an elevated station. when not in use, they would be stored at bases strategically located around the globe.

designed to be stackable like shipping containers, the appropriate mix of pods could be immediately distributed to a disaster site, where separate propeller units will magnetically engage the stacked pods and lift them. once in the air, GPS would guide them to the destination. the project is designed using four main types of pods: basic care, services, emergency, and staff. while limited patient accommodation would be provided, the intention is for the pods to be used to stabilize patients prior to a transfer to medical center or other safe location.

as emergency and treatment pods hover above a conflict on the ground, support pods can connect to them to deliver critical supplies such as water and power

each pod type is assigned a different color, which are chosen to be visible in varying circumstances

sydney based studio HDR develops a flying hospital concept for disaster relief

Details

  • 433 Gardeners Rd, Rosebery NSW 2018, Australia
  • HDR