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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

In the developing world, where isolated villages may be accessible only by rough roads, aerial drones can do a lot of good [newatlas.com]. With this in mind, the Government of Malawi and UNICEF have announced an initiative aimed at further developing humanitarian uses for the aircraft. They've established a drone testing corridor in Malawi [newatlas.com], which is reportedly the first of its kind anywhere in Africa.

Known as the Humanitarian UAS Testing Corridor (UAS – unmanned aircraft system), it will extend along a 40-km (25-mile) swath of land, extending up to an altitude of 500 m (1,640 ft).

Plans call on it to facilitate testing in three main areas – the delivery of items such as medical supplies, samples or vaccines; the extension of Wi-Fi or cellphone signals across difficult terrain, particularly in emergencies; and the capture and analysis of aerial imagery for development, and during humanitarian crises such as natural disasters.

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