Studeo
19th June 2010, 09:54
Forth Valley Royal Hospital to use robot 'workers'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/10344849.stm
Page last updated at 23:31 GMT, Thursday, 17 June 2010 00:31 UK
The robots will carry clinical waste, deliver food and clean the
operating theatre
A hospital in Scotland is to become the first in the UK to use a fleet
of robots to carry out day-to-day tasks.
The robots will carry clinical waste, deliver food, clean the
operating theatre and dispense drugs.
They are currently undergoing final tests ahead of the August opening
of the new £300m Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert,
Stirlingshire.
The robots will have their own dedicated network of corridors
underneath the hospital.
NHS Forth Valley chairman Ian Mullen said the new hospital would be
"packed full of design features to improve patient care and improve
the life of staff".
He added: "Members of staff will use a hand-held PDA to call up the
robot to move meal trays, or linen, or whatever.
"The robot will come up in the service lift by itself, pick up the
item and go back into the lift."
Tom McEwen, the project manager for manufacturer Serco, said a series
of pre-programmed routes would be set out for the robots to follow.
"The robots will follow the system using a series of laser beams which
will tell it exactly where it is," he explained.
Computers on board the robots will be able to tell doors to open, and
sensors will tell the robots to stop if anything - or anyone - is in
the way.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/10344849.stm
Page last updated at 23:31 GMT, Thursday, 17 June 2010 00:31 UK
The robots will carry clinical waste, deliver food and clean the
operating theatre
A hospital in Scotland is to become the first in the UK to use a fleet
of robots to carry out day-to-day tasks.
The robots will carry clinical waste, deliver food, clean the
operating theatre and dispense drugs.
They are currently undergoing final tests ahead of the August opening
of the new £300m Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert,
Stirlingshire.
The robots will have their own dedicated network of corridors
underneath the hospital.
NHS Forth Valley chairman Ian Mullen said the new hospital would be
"packed full of design features to improve patient care and improve
the life of staff".
He added: "Members of staff will use a hand-held PDA to call up the
robot to move meal trays, or linen, or whatever.
"The robot will come up in the service lift by itself, pick up the
item and go back into the lift."
Tom McEwen, the project manager for manufacturer Serco, said a series
of pre-programmed routes would be set out for the robots to follow.
"The robots will follow the system using a series of laser beams which
will tell it exactly where it is," he explained.
Computers on board the robots will be able to tell doors to open, and
sensors will tell the robots to stop if anything - or anyone - is in
the way.