Robots on the Hospital Ward

Interesting article on one hospital using a robot for non urgent supplies. There are still a few bugs to work through, but they are expected to pay for themselves quickly. This robot is ready to get in the elevator to make a delivery and the next picture shows the delivery being made. BD

A courier robot on a supply run prepares to enter an elevator at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown. Peter Seiff, an executive with the robot's maker, Aethon, said robots seem slow, but humans stop for talk, a drink, food. His company's studies show the machines get more done in the long run. "It's a classic case of tortoise and hare," he said.
He's quiet, very polite, doesn't care about benefits, needs just one six-hour break a day, won't ever demand a promotion, and will haul stuff through hospital corridors for hours without complaining about leg cramps.
On balance, Holmes said, the robots are a hit. "It really has made a big difference," he said. "In fact, the staff has told me they wouldn't want to do without it."
The hospital's dietary department has budgeted for two of the robots, Holmes said, and the pharmacy is considering one as well.
Mary Kate Scott, a California health-care consultant who specializes in technology, said courier robots were evidence of a relatively new interest among hospitals in becoming more efficient and businesslike. Until now, most medical technology has increased costs, but machines like these robots and computerized check-in kiosks can cut costs. "There is a big shift as hospitals start thinking about themselves differently as a business," she said.