The North Carolina Department of Transportation submitted a proposal to test using drones to deliver medical supplies to hard-to-reach areas in the state, reports WRAL.
In other areas around the globe, drones are being used to deliver blood and medications to areas where travel is difficult. However, to date, drones haven't been used for this reason anywhere in the U.S.
The North Carolina DOT submitted the proposal last month to the Federal Aviation Administration's Drone Integration Pilot Program, which will provide state and local governments an opportunity to partner with private sector entities to accelerate the integration of drones in the U.S.
"[Drones could be used] primarily in urban areas or places where you may have recurring congestion, difficult to get vehicles in, or remote [areas]," Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon told WRAL. "You can think of anything from downtown urban areas, mountains, eastern North Carolina."
If the proposal is approved, the DOT would work with precision mapping companies to design a management system and test flight paths.
North Carolina DOT will know by May if the FAA approved its proposal.