Master of Design (M.Des) thesis · University of Cincinnati · 2025-2026
Master of Design (M.Des) thesis · University of Cincinnati · 2025-2026
Designing for Trust in Medical Drone Transport
Designing for Trust in Medical Drone Transport
Human-centered design research and a design playbook for UAV blood sample transport in urban healthcare.
Human-centered design research and a design playbook for UAV blood sample transport in urban healthcare.
Role
Role
Design Research, AAM x Healthcare
Design Research, AAM x Healthcare
Timeline
Timeline
May 2025 - April 2026
May 2025 - April 2026
Methods
Methods
Workshops, expert interviews, affinity analysis, prototyping, validation
Workshops, expert interviews, affinity analysis, prototyping, validation
Setting
Setting
UC Health, Applied Autonomy Lab - Digital Futures University of Cincinnati
UC Health, Applied Autonomy Lab - Digital Futures University of Cincinnati
Overview
Overview
Drone delivery of medical samples is technically viable, but adoption in healthcare remains limited. The barrier isn’t flight capability. It’s whether clinicians trust handing critical samples to an autonomous system.
Drone delivery of medical samples is technically viable, but adoption in healthcare remains limited. The barrier isn’t flight capability. It’s whether clinicians trust handing critical samples to an autonomous system.
I researched how blood sample transport works today, tested what clinicians need from a drone payload, and turned the findings into a playbook for aviation and healthcare teams.
I researched how blood sample transport works today, tested what clinicians need from a drone payload, and turned the findings into a playbook for aviation and healthcare teams.
TL;DR
TL;DR
Drones are flight-ready but not trust-ready for clinical use. Clinicians build trust through the payload and the information around it, not through the drone itself.
Drones are flight-ready but not trust-ready for clinical use. Clinicians build trust through the payload and the information around it, not through the drone itself.
The gap
The gap
Two professions, one object, no shared view of it
Two professions, one object, no shared view of it
Advanced Air Mobility
Advanced Air Mobility
Sees the payload as
Sees the payload as
• Mass (kg / lb)
• Volume (liters)
• Environmental limits: temperature range, shock
• Mass (kg / lb)
• Volume (liters)
• Environmental limits: temperature range, shock
Healthcare workers
Healthcare workers
See the payload as
See the payload as
• Verified sample presence and integrity
• Labels that reduce identification and routing errors
• Safe, workflow-aligned handling
• Visible, documented custody transitions
• Verified sample presence and integrity
• Labels that reduce identification and routing errors
• Safe, workflow-aligned handling
• Visible, documented custody transitions
Both depend on the same object, but nobody was designing it for both.
Both depend on the same object, but nobody was designing it for both.
Research INQUIRY
Research INQUIRY
Defining the Research Inquiry
Defining the Research Inquiry
What is Chain-of-Custody?
What is Chain-of-Custody?
In medical transport, trust isn’t about the vehicle. It’s about knowing who handled a sample, when, and in what state. Drones remove the person who normally answers that question, so I wanted to design what replaces them.
In medical transport, trust isn’t about the vehicle. It’s about knowing who handled a sample, when, and in what state. Drones remove the person who normally answers that question, so I wanted to design what replaces them.
Traceability
Traceability
Accountability
Accountability
Regulatory Compliance
Regulatory Compliance
Error Prevention
Error Prevention
Every transfer of responsibility must be:
Every transfer of responsibility must be:
Verified
Verified
Logged
Logged
Legible
Legible
Adoption requires understanding interaction, not just performance.
Adoption requires understanding interaction, not just performance.
Research question
Research question
How can human-centered thinking shape UAV medical payload systems that integrate into healthcare workflows and support trust-based adoption?
How can human-centered thinking shape UAV medical payload systems that integrate into healthcare workflows and support trust-based adoption?
My contribution
My contribution
Researchers Objective
Researchers Objective
Method
Method
How I got to the answers
How I got to the answers
Secondary research on Zipline, Matternet, and the medical logistics literature informed a speculative journey map. That map became the probe for the first workshop.
Secondary research on Zipline, Matternet, and the medical logistics literature informed a speculative journey map. That map became the probe for the first workshop.
10 participants · 70 min
10 participants · 70 min
Workshop 1: journey mapping
Workshop 1: journey mapping
Lab technologist, pathology residents, and lab directors from UC Health walked through current workflows, then reacted to a speculative UAV journey map and payload sketches.
Lab technologist, pathology residents, and lab directors from UC Health walked through current workflows, then reacted to a speculative UAV journey map and payload sketches.
4 participants · 60 min
4 participants · 60 min
Workshop 2: prototype session
Workshop 2: prototype session
Lab managers at Uc Health pathology role-played loading, verification, sealing, and receipt with two low-fidelity boxes and label stickers, thinking aloud throughout.
Lab managers at Uc Health pathology role-played loading, verification, sealing, and receipt with two low-fidelity boxes and label stickers, thinking aloud throughout.
1 expert · 60 min
1 expert · 60 min
Courier logistics interview
Courier logistics interview
A medical courier manager described dispatch, handoffs, and operational constraints, and responded to the journey map.
A medical courier manager described dispatch, handoffs, and operational constraints, and responded to the journey map.
2 experts
2 experts
Validation
Validation
An AAM professional and a medical-device human factors specialist reviewed the playbook for fit, clarity, and rigor.
An AAM professional and a medical-device human factors specialist reviewed the playbook for fit, clarity, and rigor.
13
13
unique participants
unique participants
4
4
research sessions
research sessions
7
7
journey stages
journey stages
4
4
design layers
design layers
Analysis: open coding and affinity diagramming in Atlas.ti and Miro, in two rounds. The study was determined exempt by the University of Cincinnati IRB.
Analysis: open coding and affinity diagramming in Atlas.ti and Miro, in two rounds. The study was determined exempt by the University of Cincinnati IRB.
Workshop 1 photos
Findings
Findings
What I found
What I found
Workflow
Workflow
Drone delivery has to fit the workflow
Drone delivery has to fit the workflow
Landing-to-lab adds a human handoff that introduces error. A drone alone isn’t a solution if the last step is unplanned.
Landing-to-lab adds a human handoff that introduces error. A drone alone isn’t a solution if the last step is unplanned.
“A drone can land on a helipad, but someone still has to pick it up and bring it inside.”
“A drone can land on a helipad, but someone still has to pick it up and bring it inside.”
Chain of custody
Chain of custody
Custody is the center of trust
Custody is the center of trust
Today a courier is a visible point of responsibility. Remove the courier, and the payload and software have to take over that role.
Today a courier is a visible point of responsibility. Remove the courier, and the payload and software have to take over that role.
“Everything is scanned when it’s picked up… you must verify everything.”
“Everything is scanned when it’s picked up… you must verify everything.”
Sample integrity
Sample integrity
Integrity is physical
Integrity is physical
Participants wanted secure closures, racks that hold tubes steady, and separate temperature zones within one payload.
Participants wanted secure closures, racks that hold tubes steady, and separate temperature zones within one payload.
“I would like the tubes to feel secure when I place them in their slots.”
“I would like the tubes to feel secure when I place them in their slots.”
Trust
Trust
Clinicians judge reliability through the payload
Clinicians judge reliability through the payload
Both validation experts agreed the drone reads as a transport tool, while the payload is where responsibility and accountability sit.
Both validation experts agreed the drone reads as a transport tool, while the payload is where responsibility and accountability sit.
“Blood going out is the most sensitive.”
“Blood going out is the most sensitive.”
The pivot
The pivot
I set out to design a box. The research said the problem was bigger.
I set out to design a box. The research said the problem was bigger.
Verification, visibility, and role clarity span the whole journey, so they can’t be fixed by one physical artifact. The deliverable became a playbook that can inform payloads, interfaces, and protocols alike.
Verification, visibility, and role clarity span the whole journey, so they can’t be fixed by one physical artifact. The deliverable became a playbook that can inform payloads, interfaces, and protocols alike.
Payload box concept
Payload box concept
→
→
Findings: problems are systemic
Findings: problems are systemic
→
→
Playbook
Playbook
The playbook
The playbook
Four design layers across seven journey stages
Four design layers across seven journey stages
A 35-page guide that maps recommendations to where they matter in the journey and to the type of design intervention they need. Teams can navigate by process or by design domain.
A 35-page guide that maps recommendations to where they matter in the journey and to the type of design intervention they need. Teams can navigate by process or by design domain.
1 · Physical
1 · Physical
What people touch
What people touch
Closures, handles, internal racks, docking interfaces
Closures, handles, internal racks, docking interfaces
2 · Information
2 · Information
What people see
What people see
Status indicators, labels, custody information
Status indicators, labels, custody information
3 · Software
3 · Software
What the system knows
What the system knows
Tracking, pre-flight verification, alerts, digital custody record
Tracking, pre-flight verification, alerts, digital custody record
4 · System
4 · System
How roles are structured
How roles are structured
Roles, handoffs, workflow integration, failure recovery
Roles, handoffs, workflow integration, failure recovery
Prepare
Prepare
→
→
Verify
Verify
→
→
Attach & launch
Attach & launch
→
→
In-flight
In-flight
→
→
Landing
Landing
→
→
Receive
Receive
→
→
Post-flight verification
Post-flight verification
Summary checklist, written as questions
Summary checklist, written as questions
“Can someone understand the payload’s state at a glance?”
“Can critical information survive a digital outage?”
“Is orientation explicitly communicated?”
“Can someone understand the payload’s state at a glance?”
“Can critical information survive a digital outage?”
“Is orientation explicitly communicated?”
Use it to evaluate existing concepts, structure early design discussions, and surface gaps during pilot programs.
Use it to evaluate existing concepts, structure early design discussions, and surface gaps during pilot programs.
Validation and impact
Validation and impact
What the experts said, and why it matters
What the experts said, and why it matters
Validation
Validation
The “integration gap”
The “integration gap”
Experts confirmed the playbook addresses a gap where technology is flight-ready but not trust-ready for clinical use.
Sensory redundancy: critical actions like locking should pair a tactile click with a visual indicator.
Negative transfer: clinicians may revert to familiar habits if new systems don’t match their mental models.
Experts confirmed the playbook addresses a gap where technology is flight-ready but not trust-ready for clinical use.
Sensory redundancy: critical actions like locking should pair a tactile click with a visual indicator.
Negative transfer: clinicians may revert to familiar habits if new systems don’t match their mental models.
Potential impact
Potential impact
Payload as “active interface”
Payload as “active interface”
For AAM: shifts the payload from passive cargo to an interface for clinical utility, and makes custody handoff points explicit.
For healthcare: addresses the adoption gap with visible, tangible indicators for systems that can otherwise fail invisibly.
For AAM: shifts the payload from passive cargo to an interface for clinical utility, and makes custody handoff points explicit.
For healthcare: addresses the adoption gap with visible, tangible indicators for systems that can otherwise fail invisibly.
Limitations and next steps
Limitations and next steps
What’s still open
What’s still open
Limitations
Scope
Scope
One institution and one city. Small samples. The playbook hasn’t been tested with end users yet. Regulatory and operational constraints weren’t explored in depth.
One institution and one city. Small samples. The playbook hasn’t been tested with end users yet. Regulatory and operational constraints weren’t explored in depth.
Next steps
Toward an industry standard
Toward an industry standard
Add engineering depth, such as shipment-label visibility angles and internal structures for vial breakage. Incorporate human factors standards like ANSI/AAMI HE75. Engage the FDA on whether payload containers could be Class I medical devices.
Add engineering depth, such as shipment-label visibility angles and internal structures for vial breakage. Incorporate human factors standards like ANSI/AAMI HE75. Engage the FDA on whether payload containers could be Class I medical devices.
Read the playbook
Read the playbook
Blood Sample Transport with Drones: A Guide for Designing Medical Transport UAV Systems
Blood Sample Transport with Drones: A Guide for Designing Medical Transport UAV Systems