Aethon is speaking on a panel entitled “Get Smart: Creating the Latest Smart Buildings and Cities” on March 18, 2026 at the NY Build Expo. Greg Halpin, VP of Smart Buildings and Consulting will present our ReadyElevator product line and strategy.
ReadyElevator is an enabling technology from Aethon which eliminates the barriers of adoption for mobile robotics in multi-story buildings like hospitals, hotels, office spaces and multi-family residences.
Elevators are one of the last disconnected systems in the smart building ecosystem yet Aethon addressed this gap decades ago and is now opening the technology for use by other robot companies. For building owners, a ReadyElevator interface future-proofs their investments and allows them to deploy mobile robot solutions on their terms. For elevator consultants it allows them to ensure their customers have the most modern and up-to-date elevator solutions available – no matter the elevator brand.
Click for the details on the ReadyElevator product
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]]>PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA / ACCESS Newswire / September 10, 2025/ ST Engineering Aethon (“Aethon”) and Oracle have partnered to deliver an integrated solution that automates and unifies hospital inventory transport and management, creating an intelligent approach to managing supplies that helps hospitals enhance operational efficiency.
Through integrating Aethon’s autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and vision-based logistics control with Oracle Fusion Cloud Advanced Inventory Management which is part of Oracle Cloud Supply Chain & Manufacturing (SCM), hospitals deploying the AMRs can now seamlessly connect material transport with digital inventory and supply chain systems and workflows.
The integration links Oracle’s inventory picking process directly to Aethon’s AMR and vision system, enabling automatic material pickup and delivery and closes the loop with delivery status updates and final inventory location within the Oracle system for real-time visibility and accuracy.
“This collaboration represents a major advancement in healthcare automation and is part of our ongoing initiative to support robot-ready infrastructure,” said Peter Seiff, CEO of ST Engineering Aethon. “It demonstrates that robotic automation has moved beyond standalone systems to become seamlessly integrated into broader enterprise systems. We’re proud to collaborate with Oracle on innovation to empower hospitals to operate more efficiently, safely, and with fewer resources.”
Kristen Miles, vice president, healthcare product strategy, Oracle, added, “We’re excited to deliver this integration to our healthcare customers, marking a new era of automation where real-time data, intelligent robotics, and advanced inventory management work seamlessly together to enhance patient care and drive operational excellence. Built on Oracle Cloud SCM and powered by Oracle Advanced Inventory Management, this solution gives hospitals a unified platform to streamline supply chain processes, maintain accurate inventory, and respond faster to changing demands.”
Key features include:
- Pre-built integration between Aethon AMRs and Oracle Cloud SCM for streamlined workflow management.
- Autonomous mobile robots transport supplies directly to hospital departments.
- Vision-based algorithms automatically detect inventory deliveries and trigger logistics workflows.
- Real-time inventory visibility within Oracle Cloud SCM for accurate, up-to-date records.
About ST Engineering Aethon
ST Engineering Aethon is a global leader in autonomous mobile robotics, delivering transformative logistics solutions for the healthcare industry. With a proven track record across premier hospitals worldwide, Aethon’s cutting-edge technology streamlines internal transportation, enhances operational efficiency, and empowers clinical teams to focus on patient care. By automating routine delivery tasks, Aethon helps healthcare institutions reduce costs, optimize workflows, and elevate workforce productivity-driving smarter, more responsive hospital operations.
About Oracle’s Partner Program
Oracle’s partner program helps Oracle and its partners drive joint customer success and business momentum. The newly enhanced program provides partners with choice and flexibility, offering several program pathways and a robust range of foundational benefits spanning training and enablement, go-to-market collaboration, technical accelerators, and success support. To learn more, visit https://www.oracle.com/partner/.
Trademarks
Aethon is a registered trademark of ST Engineering Aethon Inc. Oracle, Java, MySQL and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation.
Contact Information
Tony Melanson
VP, Strategy & Marketing
[email protected]
412-322-2975
SOURCE: ST Engineering, Aethon Inc
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]]>History of the Phrase “Autonomous Mobile Robot”
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) have become a cornerstone of modern automation, transforming industries with their ability to navigate and operate independently. Much has been written about their technical capabilities. But, what about the term itself? How did the phrase “Autonomous Mobile Robot” come to describe an entire class of products in one of the most exciting segments of the robotics field?
This blog offers a historical perspective on the origins of the phrase and explores how and when companies adopted the term “autonomous mobile robot”. It will highlight the dates of adoption, and some of the terms used prior to embracing the AMR moniker. The Wayback Machine provided a helpful source for researching this historical journey.
Originator of the Phrase
The term “autonomous mobile robot” or AMR was coined by Aethon on their website on February 8, 2014(x), representing the first public use of the term in the market. Subsequently, Aethon registered the domain autonomousmobilerobot.com in February 2016.
Prior to using the term, Aethon referred to their product as a “self-guiding, self-propelled cart moving solution” which was used on their website as of February 25, 2004(x) . It gradually become more focused and as of November 3, 2013 they described it as “automated robotic delivery system”(x). There was a healthy debate about whether the word “smart” should be incorporated into the term and for a while it was used interchangeably with and without the addition of “smart”. But this phrasing was ultimately dripped in favor of AMR.
This shift in terminology to the AMR term was adopted throughout the industry over the following 20 years and became a standard.
Adoption of AMR Terminology
Vecna Robotics: On September 15, 2015(x) , Vecna Robotics began using the AMR term following their acquisition of vGo. Before this, Vecna described their solutions as “telepresence robots”(x) and “hospital logistics robots”(x) . Vecna Robotics launched a dedicated page for AMRs on November 30, 2022(x) .
MiR (Mobile Industrial Robots): MiR initially used the phrase “advanced mobile robots” in 2014(x) . The company transitioned to using the term AMR on February 23, 2017(x) .
Fetch Robotics: On February 28, 2017(x) , Fetch Robotics adopted the term AMR, moving away from “intelligent autonomous driving” which had been used up to February 5, 2017(x) .
Locus Robotics: After emerging from stealth mode(x) Locus Robotics began using the term AMR on December 2, 2017(x) . Prior to this, they referred to their technology as a “robotic fulfillment solution”(x).
Geek+: When the company emerged it had adopted the term AMR on March 29, 2020(x) . Before adopting AMR, Geek+ did not have a specific term for their robots available online.
Adept/Omron: Adept Technology introduced their “courier” as an “intelligent mobile transporter” on February 6, 2012(x) . As of December 17, 2019(x) they still had not yet fully adopted the AMR term but on April 1, 2020(x), Omron’s LD series was recognized as an AMR.
OTTO Motors: OTTO Motors transitioned from “self-driving vehicles”, which was used up to May 27, 2020(x), to AMRs on May 30, 2020(x) .
Grey Orange: Grey Orange first used the term AMR in a press release on July 31, 2020(x). However, they continued to use “intelligent fulfillment robots” on their website until August 2021(x).
Seegrid: As of February 1, 2021(x), Seegrid used the term “vision guided vehicles”. But on February 7, 2021, they transitioned to the more universal AMR term.
6 River Systems: A company that was in stealth mode for a couple of years, 6 River Systems quickly became known for their product “Chuck”. Curiously, they avoided any category moniker. But by December 4, 2022, 6 River Systems officially identified it as an AMR(x) . Before this, Chuck was called a “collaborative mobile robot”(x)
KUKA: KUKA began using the term AMR on the menu of their website on June 27, 2023(x) . Prior to this, they referred to their products as “omnidirectional mobile platforms”(x) . By February 23, 2024, KUKA fully embraced the term and launched a dedicated page for AMRs(x).
Willow Garage: Willow Garage focused on personal robots, with their PR2 being a “personal robot” and the TurtleBot an “autonomous platform”. While never adopting the term “autonomous mobile robot”, they are an important early innovator in the field.
Conclusion
The adoption of the term “autonomous mobile robot” is marked by milestones and contributions from various companies. You might say, “Who cares?” because a name doesn’t solve engineering problems. However, it helps solve the commercialization challenge of new technology by providing clarity about the solution and the relevance of a growing space.
The etymology of the terms in the space and the subsequent consolidation around the AMR term shows how it plays a role in clearly communicating to the market.
What’s most important is the impact AMRs have on efficiency, productivity, and safety, making autonomous technology integral to everyday operations.
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]]>PITTSBURGH, October 1, 2024 (Newswire.com) – ST Engineering Aethon Inc. (Aethon), a leading provider of autonomous mobile robot solutions, today announced its second annual RoboHero Award recipients. The RoboHero Awards recognize healthcare organizations that have achieved excellence in the adoption and utilization of mobile robotic technology as part of their operations.
“We are happy to celebrate our customers who represent the best of the best in healthcare operations. They also serve as tangible examples of our vision to fulfill the promise of autonomous mobile robots. The broad appeal of our technology is evident in this year’s winners who represent eight different applications, four continents, and hospitals ranging from 104 to 2,247 beds. New recipients make up 50% of the winners, which indicates that hospitals are not only choosing our technology but are also comfortable relying on it as their first choice for performing work. The combination of increased productivity and consistent performance is at the center of our values,” said Peter Seiff, CEO of ST Engineering, Aethon.
“The logistics staff at University Health rely on our fleet of 23 Aethon robots to automate delivery throughout our 1 million plus square foot facility. The robots pick up, transport and drop off heavy carts so our people in environmental services, linen and supply chain can provide excellent and efficient service to our clinical teams and patients. The robots deliver outstanding support by handling the movement of a variety of carts throughout the hospital,” commented Johnny Bartelle, Director, Materials Management Operations (Logistics), University Health.
Recognitions are in the categories of ‘Most Miles Traveled’ and ‘Most Deliveries Made’ for a single robot within the following clinical and logistics departments throughout the hospital: Pharmacy, Laboratory, Nutrition, Surgical, Linen, Environmental Services, Materials, and Shared Use, for the June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024 time period. In addition to individual departments, Aethon has recognized the top fleet customer in each category. A fleet customer is a hospital site using five or more robots. Each award recipient will receive a commemorative trophy from Aethon. In addition to the recognition, all award recipients will be part of a draw where Aethon will select one recipient at random to receive a donation of $5,000 to a charity of its choice.
Most Miles Traveled for a Single Robot
- Allegheny Health Network Canonsburg – Laboratory (Canonsburg, PA) – 2,755 miles
- El Camino Hospital – Supplies (Mountain View, CA) – 2,574 miles
- St. Elizabeth Healthcare – Pharmacy (Fort Thomas, KY) – 2,018 miles
- Scripps La Jolla Medical Center- Dietary (Ja Jolla, CA) – 1,791 miles
- Froedtert Health – EVS (Wauwatosa, WI) – 1,756 miles
- Stanford Medicine – Healhcare – Shared Use (Palo Alto, CA) – 1,574 miles
- Royal Melbourne – Surgical (Parkville, Australia – 1,369 miles
- Multicare Tacoma General Hospital – Linen (Tacoma, WA) – 1,144 miles
Most Deliveries Made for a Single Robot
- Advent Health Orlando – Laboratory (Orlando, FL) – 40,592 deliveries
- Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital – Dietary (Singapore) – 31,297 deliveries
- Seinajoki Hospital – Surgical (Seinajoki, Finland) – 24,356 deliveries
- St. Elizabeth Healthcare – Pharmacy (Fort Thomas, KY) – 21,382 deliveries
- Froedtert Hospital – EVS (Wauwatosa, WI) – 15,242 deliveries
- University Health – Shared (San Antonio, TX) – 16,288 deliveries
- Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin – Supplies (Milwaukee, WI) – 18,012 deliveries
- Multicare Tacoma General Hospital – Linen (Tacoma, WA) – 5,582 deliveries
Top Fleet – Miles Traveled
- Multicare Tacoma General Hospital (Tacoma, WA) – 20,934 miles
Top Fleet – Deliveries Made
- Mercy St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) – 297,012 deliveries
Across its customer base, Aethon’s robots make millions of deliveries traveling hundreds of thousands of miles each year. Since 2004, Aethon robots have been a reliable, safe, and efficient solution for the movement of goods throughout hospitals around the world. With the recent launch of its new Zena Rx line of mobile robots, Aethon expects to hit new delivery and mileage milestones as new customers adopt the technology.
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]]>PITTSBURGH, April 29, 2024 (Newswire.com) – ST Engineering Aethon Inc. (Aethon), a leading provider of autonomous mobile robot solutions, today announced the launch of its latest innovation, Zena RX, a next-generation mobile robot for hospital pharmacies and laboratories. Zena RX solves the labor and operational challenges faced by hospitals by automating the delivery of medications, lab specimens and supplies so staff can focus on high value activities such as direct patient care and clinical workflows.
Zena RX improves upon Aethon’s market leading pharmacy and laboratory TUG T2 robot. The enhancements include next-generation autonomous navigation, more flexible form factor, enhanced user interface and a longer run time.
Built on Aethon’s 20-year expertise in autonomous robotics and their commitment to enhancing healthcare operations, Zena RX is faster to deploy and can be used for a broader range of tasks, all leading to higher utilization and operational value.
“We are thrilled to introduce Zena RX to the healthcare industry. The significant advancements over our existing T2 TUG robots and improved versatility mean this technology is now accessible to a much larger number of hospitals,” said Peter Seiff, CEO at ST Engineering Aethon. “Zena RX ensures that sensitive goods, such as medications and specimens, are delivered with efficiency, precision, reliability, and utmost security and safety. We believe Zena RX will transform the way hospitals of any size handle their internal logistics, enabling healthcare professionals to focus on what matters most: patient care.”
Key Features of Zena RX:
- Next-Generation Autonomous Navigation: Zena RX obstacle avoidance and localization is 8-times faster due to Aethon’s new navigation technology. This shaves minutes off each delivery. It is also equipped with side-mounted LIDAR units to enhance the detection of obstacles and environmental hazards. The combination of enhanced efficiency and safety translates to more deliveries per hour and less waiting for the staff.
- Secure: An all-metal cabinet and physically latched doors, biometric security and staff pin codes provide best in class security. Only authorized staff can retrieve the delivery of medications, laboratory specimens or supplies from the robot.
- Flexible Form Factor: Zena RX provides over 10,000 cubic inches of capacity, a 2.6 times increase over the TUG T2 pharmacy robot. This is greater than any other fixed-cabinet robot in the market. Four independently locking compartments allow secure delivery to several destinations in a single run. Each compartment can accommodate a variety of bin configurations and the bins are easily organized using the touchscreen interface. The four secured compartments can be combined to create two even larger compartments to haul large goods. This versatility enables hospitals to transport a wide range of items, including equipment, tackle boxes and supplies with ease.
- Intuitive Interface: Zena RX features a human-centered touch interface, allowing the staff to use the robot with nearly zero training. Users can easily send the robot on jobs or quickly reconfigure the robot to handle different types of loads – whether small or large.
- Longer Run Time: Zena RX can run continuously for 10 hours and even longer if opportunity charging is available between runs.
Zena RX is now available for hospitals of any size seeking to streamline their internal transportation processes, improve security, and enhance overall operational efficiency. For more information about Zena RX and Aethon’s innovative mobile robot solutions, please visit www.aethon.com.
###
About ST Engineering Aethon
ST Engineering Aethon is a leading provider of autonomous mobile robot solutions, dedicated to transforming the way organizations deliver goods. Aethon’s innovative robots enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve overall productivity in both healthcare and hospitality verticals. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced navigation systems, Aethon empowers organizations to optimize internal logistics and free up resources for higher-value activities.
About ST Engineering
ST Engineering is a global technology, defense and engineering group with a diverse portfolio of businesses across the aerospace, smart city, defense and public security segments. The Group harnesses technology and innovation to solve real-world problems, enabling a more secure and sustainable world. Headquartered in Singapore, it has operations spanning Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., serving customers in more than 100 countries. ST Engineering reported revenue of S$10b in FY2023 and ranks among the largest companies listed on the Singapore Exchange. It is a component stock of MSCI Singapore, FTSE Straits Times Index and Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index.
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]]>Sarah Province, Regional Lab Director at AdventHealth’s Florida Hospital in Orlando will present a Master Class at the 29th Annual Executive War College held April 30-May 1.
Her Master Class session, “Autonomous Robots in the Lab: Freeing FTEs and Shortening Lab Test Turnaround Times” will be held on April 30 at 7:30am.
Last year, their robot was a RoboHero award winner and produced the most deliveries for a laboratory across all Aethon customers. Their robot, “Rosie” performed 37,342 deliveries in 12 months.
The Executive War College has been a premiere learning event for Laboratory professionals for nearly 3 decades and we are excitied that Sarah will share how their robot has delivered value in their lab.
If you are attending the Execuitve War College, be sure to connect with us! We will be there.
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]]>Post Healthcare Strike – What’s Next for Robots in Hospitals? We just witnessed the largest healthcare strike in US history which involved 75,000 workers. Fortunately, it was short – only 72 hours – and limited to one healthcare organization (albeit a very large one). The strike included a wide range of employees including dietary workers, laboratory technicians, pharmacy staff, and housekeeping staff. One of their chief complaints was related to “unsafe” staffing levels.
This is not an isolated issue, of course. It is a nationwide challenge to find and retain skilled and entry level staff who can perform the work needed in a hospital environment. Burnout is real and the effects of overworking to get the day’s work done is one of the long-term consequences of the pandemic. It is not a new phenomenon, however. In early 2022, ECRI concluded staffing shortages were the top patient safety concern in hospitals.
Aethon is familiar with the labor shortage. Pharmacy, laboratory, dietary and housekeeping departments that come to us for solutions tell us how difficult it is to keep up since they are understaffed due to labor availability. A common thread among these departments is that their operations are all performed centrally and require transportation to and from those central points of operation. Medication needs to be delivered from the pharmacy to the nursing unit. Specimens need to be brought back to the central lab. Food is delivered from the kitchen and both clean and soiled linens go back and forth. These activities represent a very high transportation burden on those departments, and it greatly affects the staff’s productivity, satisfaction and well-being. Staff can handle this transportation differently, adding value to patient care and comfort while reducing exhaustion and burnout.
Autonomous Mobile Robots in Hospitals
We know what transportation requires because our autonomous mobile robots perform this function in hospitals daily. We can also measure how many deliveries they make in lieu of a person and how much distance our mobile hospital robots cover when performing these same transportation tasks. For example, in September preceding the strike, each of our mobile robots in hospitals performed an average of 564 deliveries and covered over 48 miles. In addition, the top 10% of our customers pushed their robots to achieve nearly 3x this utilization. If you want to see what’s truly possible, just look at our 2023 RoboHero winners who are at the top of their class. But even with this variety of utilization it’s clear any hospital can offset a significant amount of transportation labor through automation and the productivity and worker satisfaction gains are undeniable.
And here we are at the cross-roads. The interesting part is that our robots simultaneously deliver what both the employees and healthcare organizations want. This is a rare case where everyone wins. On one hand, autonomous mobile robots in hospitals help leadership address some of their labor shortages without the constant cycle of hiring and they deliver sustainable cost and productivity improvement. On the other hand, employees get the help they desire to focus on the most important parts of their job and no longer come home exhausted from running around the hospital all day – sometimes after handling backbreakingly heavy carts.
We are well beyond seeing mobile robots in hospitals as a threat to jobs and we need to consider sustainable solutions to deliver services. Delivering these services for the patient with quality and humanity is at the heart of the strike and we couldn’t agree more.
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]]>ST Engineering Aethon Inc. (Aethon), a leading provider of autonomous mobile robot technology solutions today announced its inaugural RoboHero Award recipients. This award recognizes healthcare organizations that have achieved excellence in the adoption and utilization of mobile robot technology as part of their operations.
“We are fortunate to have a long list of healthcare customers that rely on Aethon’s autonomous mobile robots every day. This award recognizes the very top of this prestigious class for their consistency and leadership in deploying mobile robot technology. We appreciate their dedication to our products, but most of all we value their partnership in helping to advance the use of our robots across their organizations,” said Peter Seiff, CEO of ST Engineering Aethon.
“The Aethon robot has been a great team member for our laboratory. It has become an indispensable part of our operation and this is a wonderful recognition of our lean workflow transformation and the efficiency gains produced,” said Sarah Province, Laboratory Director at AdventHealth Orlando.
Recognitions are in the categories of ‘Most Miles Traveled’ and ‘Most Deliveries Made’ for a single robot within the following clinical and logistics departments throughout the hospital: Pharmacy, Laboratory, Nutrition, Surgical, Linen, Environmental Services, Materials, and Shared Use, for the June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023 time period. In addition to individual departments, Aethon has recognized the top fleet customer in each category. A fleet customer is a hospital site using five or more robots. Each award recipient will receive a commemorative trophy from Aethon. In addition, all award recipients will be part of a draw where Aethon will select one recipient at random to donate $5,000 to a charity of its choice.
Most Miles Traveled for a Single Hospital Robot
- El Camino Hospital – Supplies (Mountain View, CA) – 2,488 miles
- Allegheny Health Network Canonsburg – Laboratory (Canonsburg, PA) – 2,467 miles
- Scripps La Jolla Medical Center- Dietary (Ja Jolla, CA) – 2,164 miles
- St. Elizabeth Healthcare – Pharmacy (Fort Thomas, KY) – 2,059 miles
- Seinajoki Hospital – Surgical (Seinajoki, Finland) – 1,257 miles
- Parkview Regional Medical Center – EVS (Fort Wayne, IN) – 1,194 miles
- MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital – Shared Use (Tacoma, WA) – 1,181 miles
- UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay – Linen (San Francisco, CA) – 943 miles
Most Deliveries Made for a Single Robot
- Royal Melbourne Hospital – Surgical (Melbourne, Australia) – 48,938 deliveries
- AdventHealth Orlando – Laboratory (Orlando, FL) – 37,342 deliveries
- Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital – Dietary (Singapore) – 30,060 deliveries
- St. Elizabeth Healthcare – Pharmacy (Fort Thomas, KY) – 24,185 deliveries
- Penn Highlands Monongahela Valley Hospital – Supplies (Monongahela, PA) – 17,786 deliveries
- University Health – Shared Use (San Antonio, TX) – 15,148 deliveries
- UPMC Williamsport – EVS (Williamsport, PA) – 6,476 deliveries
Top Fleet – Miles Traveled
- UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay (San Francisco, CA) – 19,738 miles
Top Fleet – Deliveries Made
- University Health (San Antonio, TX) – 185,527 deliveries
Across its customer base, Aethon’s autonomous mobile robots make millions of deliveries traveling hundreds of thousands of miles each year. Since 2004, Aethon robots in hospitals have been a reliable, safe, and efficient solution for the movement of goods throughout hospitals around the world.
###
About ST Engineering Aethon
ST Engineering Aethon is a leading provider of autonomous mobile robot solutions, dedicated to transforming the way organizations deliver goods. Aethon’s innovative robots enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve overall productivity in both healthcare and hospitality verticals. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced navigation systems, Aethon empowers organizations to optimize internal logistics and free up resources for higher-value activities.
About ST Engineering
ST Engineering is a global technology, defense and engineering group with a diverse portfolio of businesses across the aerospace, smart city, defense and public security segments. The Group harnesses technology and innovation to solve real-world problems, enabling a more secure and sustainable world. Headquartered in Singapore, it has operations spanning Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., serving customers in more than 100 countries. ST Engineering reported revenue of about US$6.8b in FY2022 and ranks among the largest companies listed on the Singapore Exchange. It is a component stock of the FTSE Straits Times Index, Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index, iEdge SG ESG Transparency Index and iEdge SG ESG Leaders Index.
The post ST Engineering Aethon Announces RoboHero Awards to Recognize Exceptional Use of Autonomous Mobile Robot Technology in Healthcare appeared first on Aethon.
]]>Franciscan Health Crown Point Robots Assisting In Kitchen, Environmental Deliveries
The six Aethon TUG T3 robots (TUGs) carry and deliver carts with linens, towels and meal trays to the hospital floors from the kitchen and environmental services departments. The robots began operating this fall following training sessions for staff. “Franciscan Health Crown Point is thrilled to add the TUGs to our operations,” Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Daniel McCormick, MD, said. “The robots allow our staff to operate more efficiently while adding yet another state-of-the-art technology in service to our patients, who are always our top priority.” The facility was mapped with precision lasers, which allow the robots to navigate o
n a digital map. The TUGs’ array of sensors allows them to navigate safely among patients, staff and guests as well as unexpected obstacles. The fully automated, multi-directional robots are programmed to automatically return to their charging docks when their jobs are complete.
The robots can also automatically open doors and enter and exit elevators. The TUGs use elevators reserved for hospital staff and will not accompany patients or visitors in elevators. As new construction and temporary or permanent changes to the configuration of the hallways take place, the mapping can be changed to allow the TUGs to continue to navigate with ease. The carts on the TUGs are manually loaded by kitchen and environmental services staff. The robots then go to the floors as directed, automatically drop the carts when they arrive at their destinations and return to their charging docks. Staff on the floor is notified when the carts arrive via a wearable communication device already used throughout the hospital. The TUGs do not replace human workers and have not eliminated any jobs. Rather, they support existing Franciscan Health staff, allowing them to work more efficiently with compassionate care for patients by spending less time transporting carts to and from the floors.
“We are proud to support Franciscan Health Crown Point’s mission of care and healing through the use of Aethon’s robot technology,” ST Engineering, Aethon CEO Peter Seiff said. “By ensuring reliable and efficient delivery of materials throughout the hospital, the staff can focus on providing the best possible care and experience for the patient.”The post Franciscan Health Installs 6 Aethon Robots for Food Service and Environmental Logistics appeared first on Aethon.
]]>The original article can be found in the Mercy newsroom
by Mercy’s Jordan Larimore
ST. LOUIS – For many, the feeling of wishing you had an extra pair of hands ̶ or maybe even a personal assistant ̶ is a familiar one. Whether the task to be tackled is bringing groceries inside, folding clothes or some other chore, most everyone can relate to having a long to-do list and not enough time to complete the tasks on it.
Nurses and other co-workers have a host of daily duties, and especially since the beginning of the pandemic, their responsibilities can feel overwhelming. Even before the pandemic, the U.S. faced a shortage of clinical caregivers. Today, as one in five health care workers in the U.S. has left the industry, the situation is even more urgent. To help co-workers do what they do best ̶ take care of patients – Mercy has implemented an innovative way to accomplish time-intensive support tasks.
Mercy TUG Robot in Action
“When there aren’t enough hands or feet to get everything done, a set of wheels can make all the difference. TUGs, autonomous robots, take care of so many tasks that used to slow us down and take time away from our patients,” said Kim Kerlagon, a patient ambassador at Mercy Hospital Jefferson, where the robots have been in use the past three years.
“They can pick up and deliver patient meals, linens and even medications. Every trip a TUG makes is one a human being doesn’t have to, and for nurses and other caregivers, it means we can spend more time with our patients.”
After a successful pilot program at Mercy Jefferson, outside of St. Louis, TUGs are being put to use at Mercy’s largest hospital in St. Louis, with a target launch date by the end of January 2023, followed by other Mercy hospitals throughout the year.
“The use of TUGs across Mercy’s communities continues a commitment to taking an innovative approach to health care to benefit patients and the care they receive,” said Eric Ammons, president of Mercy Hospital Jefferson. “Mercy was among the first care systems in the U.S. to have a comprehensive, integrated electronic health record. TUG robots are another in a growing list of innovations that enable Mercy co-workers to focus on delivering the best possible patient care. And when you next visit a Mercy facility, make sure to look for a TUG.”
TUGs, named for the way they dependably tote carts containing various supplies around the hospital, are truly autonomous. They can sense obstacles and people in their way and can navigate around them, react to emergencies and remove themselves from an area, even call and ride the hospital’s elevators to navigate the building.
“Like everything we do, the implementation of TUGs is very strategic,” said Dr. John Mohart, president of Mercy communities and chief clinical officer. “We know the needs in all of our facilities are different, so the TUGs will be doing different jobs in different places. This technology will support whichever co-workers need it the most.”
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