To relieve the heavy logistics burden at a large hospital, NaviFra's 'L-type lift autonomous mobile robot' was deployed, capable of multi-floor travel by elevator and of operating alongside existing robots.
Background: Round-the-Clock Hospital Logistics, Easing the Burden on Medical Staff
Hospitals, where lives are at stake, operate 24 hours a day without pause. Large general hospitals in particular must move enormous volumes of IV fluids, medications, and medical supplies to the wards on every floor each day. Previously, heavy medication carts had to be pushed by hand or handled by robots with limited capabilities, so healthcare workers suffered high physical fatigue and found it difficult to focus fully on their core work: patient care.
NaviFra proposed an advanced autonomous navigation logistics solution that resolves these pain points in the medical field and integrates with existing logistics systems without conflict.
[Suggested photo: a narrow, crowded hospital corridor, or heavy IV fluid/medication carts stacked up]
Solution: NaviFra L-Type Lift Robot
The solution deployed at the hospital is NaviFra's 'L-type lift autonomous mobile robot.'
The robot drives under heavy medication carts weighing up to 200 kg, raises the cart with its lift, and transports it safely to its destination. Going beyond simple travel on a single floor, it is distinguished by flawlessly performing 'multi-floor transport,' the core of hospital logistics.
Key Technologies and Operational Highlights
The key factors that allowed NaviFra's autonomous mobile robots to take hold successfully in a complex, large hospital environment are as follows.
1. Complete Multi-Floor Transport through Elevator Integration
Carrying a 200 kg cart, the robot calls the elevator by itself through communication integration, then boards and exits on its own. This makes seamless logistics transport possible from the medication storeroom to the wards on every floor, without human intervention.
[Suggested video: a NaviFra robot calling an elevator by itself and safely boarding and exiting]
2. Mixed Operation with Existing AGVs and Detouring at Intersections
The hospital was already operating AGVs (automated guided vehicles) run by another system. Leveraging advanced fleet control and mapping technology, NaviFra's robots identify the operating routes of the existing AGVs in real time and flexibly detour around them as they travel. Achieving fully mixed operation without bottlenecks or collisions between heterogeneous robots is a point of great pride for NaviFra's technology.
3. 'Safety First' Precision Collision Detection System
By the nature of a hospital, there are a great many unpredictable dynamic obstacles such as patients, caregivers, and wheelchairs. Equipped with 360-degree precision collision detection using multiple sensors, NaviFra's robots stop immediately or detour safely even when a person suddenly appears or an obstacle is in the way, and carried out their missions without a single safety issue.
4. Maximizing Space Efficiency through Concentrated Night Operation
Robot operation took place continuously, mainly during late-night hours, when patient and visitor traffic is low. By completing heavy logistics transport in advance at night, the hospital greatly reduced daytime congestion in its corridors and maximized the robots' operating efficiency.
[Suggested photo or video: a NaviFra robot navigating quietly and safely through a deserted hospital corridor at night]
Results: Medical Staff Focus on Patients, NaviFra Handles Logistics
After NaviFra's L-type lift robot was deployed, the response on site was extremely positive. The biggest change was a dramatic reduction in the workload of hospital staff.
With the physical labor of pulling heavy medication carts up and down by elevator late at night eliminated, medical staff fatigue dropped significantly, which in turn led to higher-quality medical services and stronger patient safety. In addition, NaviFra's technology, which coexists smartly with the existing AGV system without replacing it, dramatically reduced deployment cost and time.
NaviFra provides the safest and most efficient answer to logistics automation, even in environments with complex multi-floor structures and a mix of heterogeneous robots.
To learn about the optimal robot lineup and fleet control system for your environment, consult a NaviFra expert today.