In a first, drone delivers diabetes medicine to remote island

For people who rely on insulin, it's scary to think about what might happen if they are suddenly unable to pick up their medication.

That's one reason why developers at the National University of Ireland, Galway, designed a special drone that can deliver life-saving medications to people on remote islands. Researchers wanted to ensure that if normal delivery channels are down, due to severe weather or other catastrophic events, supplies could still get to people in need.

The team said this was the first time an autonomous drone has ever flown across the north Atlantic Ocean. The drone went from Galway to the Aran Islands in western Ireland, traveling across roughly 11 miles of water in 15 minutes. During the entire flight, the drone was connected to the internet, and the Irish Aviation Authority's air space regulators were in contact, the Irish Times reports. Marion Broderick is a doctor on the Aran Islands, and she told the Times this technology offers "endless possibilities." Catherine Garcia

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