RobCab – a transport robot for hospitals

RobCab is an autonomous mobile transport robot that frees up time for caregivers. It transports cargo and pulls carts in an unimpeded and safe manner in areas where people are also present. A pilot installation will be in full swing in 2013 at the Mälar hospital in Eskilstuna.

The uniqueness of the transport robot RobCab is that it works completely on its own. The items supposed to be delivered, are locked up in a box on the wall. The robot is then instructed to deliver the items to another department. It goes up to the box, locks it up and picks up the items. It then goes to the recipient site where it leaves the items in their box and locks it. The robot can also handle carts which it pulls from one place to another. With sensors it scans its surroundings and draws a map and route, taking variable and fixed obstacles in its path into account.

Tests conducted at the Mälar hospital in Eskilstuna, has shown that autonomous robots can free up more time for human care. It is an enormous waste of qualified resources to have care staff running around with test samples, pulling food carts, picking up medicines and linens, etc. when they could be using the time to take care of patients. In the tests, which came out very positive, the staff had the opportunity to use the system in their daily practice. Both management and staff were very excited and curious about the system, having first been skeptical.

The market launch of the robot takes place in connection to the delivery of a pilot installation at the Mälar hospital in 2013. The robot will then be able to receive its orders via a newly developed taxi center. This forms the stem of the wireless Internet system which will manage the communication between the taxi center, robot and clients.

The development work at RobCab AB has been done in collaboration with Robotdalen, KTH, Mälardalen University and Örebro University. Students from other universities have also been involved in the project. Robotdalen have contributed financially as well as with networks and contacts in industry, academia and the public sector.