SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A small fleet of robots is providing help at Upstate University Hospital, transporting items such as medicine and meals around the facility. SUNY Upstate Medical University has invested in a fleet of 14 TUG robots manufactured by Aethon Inc., which produces mobile robots that perform delivery and transportation tasks in hospitals and […]
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A small fleet of robots is providing help at Upstate University Hospital, transporting items such as medicine and meals around the facility.
SUNY Upstate Medical University has invested in a fleet of 14 TUG robots manufactured by Aethon Inc., which produces mobile robots that perform delivery and transportation tasks in hospitals and other facilities.
A TUG is an autonomous mobile hauling robot designed specifically for hospitals, Upstate University Hospital said.
More than a year ago, Upstate said it determined that “given the state of the technology and the challenges that COVID presented to its supply chain, along with staff shortages on the horizon,” that it would invest in robotic-transport technology.
Upstate has used robots to perform minimally invasive surgeries, including brain surgery, and they’ll now “serve another role by helping alleviate staff shortages brought on by Covid.”
The use of the TUGS will free up “critical time” for medical staff to focus on patient care, the health-care organization noted.
Beginning with the transport of drugs from the pharmacy within the hospital to the cancer center, Upstate plans to use the new fleet of transport robots to also transport medical supplies, drugs, linen, meals, and, potentially, even clinical equipment.
The robot uses lidar, laser, sonar, and infrared sensors to navigate. It can get on and off the elevator. When it arrives at its destination it can let itself in. And each of its seven drawers can only be unlocked at the destination it was programmed for and by the person the delivery is for.
The fleet of 14 TUGS are all about four feet tall and can travel at a rate of 30 inches per second. On average, TUGS are traveling 370 miles a week around hospitals, delivering thousands of pharmacy orders, linens and meals, among other things.
“The possibilities are endless and only bound by what can be safely transported,” Steve Roberts, director of autonomous machines at Upstate, said. “Even now, we are thinking about how best to integrate these robots with drones. As our nationally recognized drone program continues to evolve, this handoff will become essential to supporting the transport needs of our remote sites.”
Upstate says hospitals across the country are turning to robots to help with staff and nursing shortages and the medical-robot market is projected to grow into a $43 billion industry in the next five years. Currently, 37 Veterans Affairs hospitals use the same TUGS made by Aethon, as does Stanford Hospital and University of California San Francisco Medical Center.
Preparing to use
In order to use the robots, Upstate University Hospital officials had to map the entire facility so the robots can navigate. They also had to upgrade the elevators so the robot server and the elevator server could communicate.
Roberts said he put in the order for the first TUG in November and then had to immediately order 13 more since the need for help has been “so great.” He would normally have six months to a year to plan and figure out logistics, but the robot roll out is moving “much more quickly than he anticipated because the process so far has been very smooth,” Upstate said.
A team of 20 staff members from different departments meets every other week to “figure things out,” including programming the best route for the first TUG to take from the pharmacy over the bridge to the Cancer Center, Roberts noted.
Three robots, also called TUG Drawers, have a set of secure drawers and can carry up to 500 pounds. Health-care providers can use the drawers for anything, such as medicine, samples, or food.
Roberts said one will be stationed at the main reception area to bring patient belongings up to nursing stations.
The additional units, called TUG T3s, include a flat bed with a lifting mechanism and can carry up to 1,000 pounds. They can drop off and pick up carts of food trays, linens, or refuse.
Upstate will first use the units in the hospital pharmacy, the 6I Nursing station, Food and Nutrition and Distribution. Eventually, Roberts said, the TUGS can deliver food and coffee to units as well.
Upstate will also use the TUGs in the upcoming Nappi Wellness Building, which is scheduled to open in the spring of 2023. Upstate plans to meet the needs of this new facility, at least in part, by using the transport robot to move material in from the hospital.
“Anything you can put on a cart and move around, these things can carry,” Roberts said.