Windracers ULTRA safely transports anti-doping blood sample in Alaska

Windracers ULTRA, a dual-use autonomous heavy-lift aircraft, has completed a 1,000 km flight as part of multi-party project to assess whether anti-doping blood samples can be transported safely and reliably over extended distances while maintaining their integrity.

The flight, conducted by the UAV experts at Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, took place over several hours and was the first BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line Of Sight) Windracers ULTRA flight in North America.

Why autonomous aircraft might play a part in anti-doping test delivery at the Olympics

The goal of the project – led by the International Testing Agency (ITA), a provider of independent anti-doping programmes and supported by Sysmex, a global provider of clinical laboratory diagnostic and haematology systems – was to assess the use of long-distance heavy-lift autonomous aircraft for transporting anti-doping test samples.

The ITA has pursued over multiple years the idea that autonomous air cargo could provide an additional option for anti-doping test delivery when conventional transport is slower, less predictable or difficult to organise, including at major events such as the Olympic Games where timely sample delivery is critical to efficient anti-doping operations and the integrity of the Games.

Simon Muderack, CEO, Windracers, said: “The mission of Windracers is to push the boundaries of autonomous aviation in service of completing our customers’ missions. This flight, expertly managed by Cathy Cahill and the ACUASI team, did exactly that and created a new benchmark of ULTRA performance while delivering a result for our partners ITA and Sysmex. I look forward to a time when Windracers ULTRA is a standard option for sample delivery at major events such as the Olympic Games.”

Where limited and challenging road networks make UAVs a compelling option

Cathy Cahill, Director of ACUASI at University of Alaska Fairbanks, said: “Looking at the efficacy of autonomous air cargo for medical test samples is incredibly important for Alaska because 82% of our communities are not on the road system.

“That means it’s very difficult to bring medical care and supplies into those communities to address issues. If we can have nurses go into the community and take samples, send them back by UAV for analysis, determine what medications are needed and then send medications back by UAV before the nurses leave, that is a huge benefit in giving people the care they need, where they live and in a timely manner.”

The flight was carried out on 19 August 2026 from Nenana Municipal Airport near Fairbanks Alaska. The UAV experts of ACUASI contributed the use of its Windracers ULTRA – a resilient 10-metre fixed-wing autonomous aircraft made from aluminium – and provided operational and technical support for the flight, including flight planning and execution, drawing on its expertise in long-range unmanned aircraft operations. Windracers Operations personnel were on hand to support ACUASI, the ITA and Sysmex for the successful completion of the flight.

How drones could provide remote communities with rapid access to laboratory and medical services

Benjamin Cohen, ITA Director General, said: “Innovation is essential to addressing practical challenges in anti-doping but it must always be underpinned by robust science and the highest standards of sample integrity and chain of custody.

Through this research, we are assessing whether drone technology can become a reliable additional option for transporting samples over long distances or across difficult terrain. The findings may also have applications beyond anti-doping, particularly in helping remote communities access laboratory and medical services more quickly and efficiently.”

Andy Hay, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sysmex America Inc. said: “Sysmex is proud to support this research, but what excites us most is what it signals beyond sport. The same technology that can move a blood sample across 1,000 kilometres of Alaskan wilderness could one day bring timely diagnostics to patients in the world’s most remote communities.”

As the next step in the study, the ITA will compare the results recorded before and after the flight to determine whether the journey had any discernible impact on white and red blood cell populations and indices relevant to the Athlete Biological Passport. Should the study confirm that blood-sample integrity can be maintained during extended drone flights, the findings could support new transport options for anti-doping organisations and major event organisers.