To deal with isolation and remote locations we wanted to focus on innovative and novel ways that could help connect and sustain. We look at the end-users' needs for technical and psychological support, but also communication, health care, and sustainment through mission-critical supplies. The stakeholders we aim to support include the end-user, their organization (in our case NASA), family, community, primary care physicians, and supply chain. Connecting with others is an important component to coping with stress, particularly in the COVID-19 environment we currently find ourselves, according to the CDC.

For mission-critical tasks, the organization and end-users will have to refer to planning and operations, based on the mission and impacts, however, we believe the Robo-Drone will address specific areas of concern that will reduce these impacts and mitigate risk to humans and mission success.

First, the Robo-Drone, which we call "ADA.", for Adaptive Designated Assistant (pronounced "ay-deh"), can reduce the logistical support requirements by providing lift and cargo capability with loads 40lbs or more, with 45 minutes of flight time or more, and a range of 70 miles or more based upon comparison drones currently in operation. Programming could be based on a model that Amazon has been testing and improved based upon streamlined demand requirements, then scaled-up for commercial use. A network or fleet of drones could extend the chain further as items are relayed and passed along from end-user to supplier. This could also minimize human to human interaction and reduce the spread of communicable transmitted diseases. We imagine this as also reinforcing existing supply chains in remote or austere locations where travel is difficult and time is an issue.

Second, the ADA Robo-Drone prolongs self-sustaining capacity by bringing mission-critical supplies to the end-user and to the parent, on-demand, when the supplies are required as situations dictate. We will discuss how ADA solves health issues more in-depth later, but with biometric monitoring and virtual health clinician capability, a fever could be identified and a sputum sample or necessary laboratory sample could be provided to the drone and delivered to the necessary facility to be tested. This could increase survivability and extend the presence of personnel and ensure their readiness to continue mission, special monitoring and treatment procedures, and extraction if necessary while buying time for replacement personnel to deploy.

Third, ADA's Robotic component is the hub and drone docking station, however, it can act standalone with a user interface that enables video communications, with Alexa-like and Zoom-like features, for one-on-one or conference type interactions with support systems, family, friends, co-workers, and organizations. This capability would alleviate some of the disconnected feelings and emotions that we have when we are distant or lose contact with loved ones. Being able to share special moments and "be there" for times of celebration or grief, ADA would be there to provide means of communication, support, and decompression when needed. We see the health implications as one of the most critical. Biometrics are an important and valuable tool for evaluation and assessment of health conditions (temperature as a key indicator of illness and infection). We also want to equip ADA’s inner compartment with UltraViolet sanitation capability to disinfect the drone and items that need to be sanitized.

Lastly, the key functions that ADA can perform are:

• Drone transport.
• Drone surveillance.
• Drone reconnaissance.
• Drone relay for communications.
• Drone relay for logistics.
• Drone solar panelled top for efficiency
• Robotic Biometrics (temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen sats, etc.)
• Robotic Alexa-like companionship
• Robotic video capability of FaceTime and Zoom
• Robotic AR/VR upgrade potential
• Uses of video include virtual clinician, virtual therapy, socialization, and entertainment