Robotics for clinics and hospitals
Robots in hospitals: Planning material transport and cleaning safely
Move laundry, meals and consumables along clear routes, clean suitable floor areas in a planned manner and integrate disinfection procedures cleanly into existing hygiene processes: SEBOTICS The task, building and operation are examined before a robot type is recommended.
For hospital logistics, technology, cleaning, and hygiene. A model selection is not necessary for the initial inspection.
Defined clinical processes
What hospital robots can do
Robots are useful where a recurring route or floor area can be clearly defined. Loading, handover, hygiene clearance, and exceptions remain part of the operational concept.
material handling
Defined transport operations between storage, kitchen, processing area, station, and disposal can be automated. Which goods may travel together or separately is determined by the facility's hygiene and logistics concept.
floor cleaning
Suitable corridors, foyers, waiting areas, and other open floor spaces can be cleaned within specified time slots. Edge areas, contact surfaces, sanitary facilities, and areas with particular contamination remain separate tasks.
Disinfection
A robot may only become part of a disinfection process if the device, procedure, agents and application parameters are suitable and the responsible hygiene organization approves the process.
Clear distinction
SEBOTICS This page does not offer surgical robotics, human nursing care, or patient transport.
Hospital logistics
Material transport: The robot takes over the route
A transport robot can autonomously travel a defined route. For this to become a functioning clinical process, the load carrier, loading, handover, and return route must also be defined.
Have the material route checkedRecurring routes between the central area, warehouse, and station.
Transport in suitable containers with controlled loading and unloading.
Provide the materials and schedule a confirmed handover in the process.
Plan return routes between the station and the central area as part of the overall process.
Check the geometry, mounting, and securing for the specific vehicle or load carrier.
Testing transport options outside of heavily booked time slots as a possible starting point.
Building integration
The route determines the benefit
The data sheet alone does not determine the operation of the clinic. The entire process is decisive.
Doors and fire compartments
The following are checked: passage width, thresholds, door closers, automatic drives, access controls and fire protection functions.
A door must be technically connected or manually released as part of the process. Safety and fire protection requirements remain unchanged.
Elevator and floor change
A multi-story deployment can only be planned once the robot system and elevator control can be connected and the necessary approvals are in place.
"Elevator connection possible" does not replace this check. Without a suitable interface, manual handover, separate floor solutions, or an alternative route are possible.
Locks and hygiene zones
Before the pilot, the following will be determined:
Traffic and priorities
Beds, emergency routes, doctor's visits, meal service, cleaning, and deliveries all affect the route. The pilot project will test when the robot travels, where it waits, and which traffic has priority.
Charging and service point
A suitable parking space, electricity and, depending on the cleaning system, options for filling, emptying or a service station are required.
Have the building and route assessed
Plannable areas
Plan and automate floor cleaning
Whether a space is suitable depends on the flooring, dirt, furnishings, narrow passages and public traffic.
- Connecting corridors and foyers
- Waiting and lounge areas
- Dining halls and open common areas
- defined areas during off-peak hours
- Preparation and clearing of the area
- Peripheral and difficult-to-access areas
- Sanitary and contact surfaces
- special contaminations
- Inspection, filling, emptying and equipment maintenance
A cleaning report only documents the trip or area recorded by the system. It is not automatically proof of quality and not evidence of disinfection.
Have the cleaning surface checkedHygiene process
Disinfection is not the same as cleaning.
No disinfection effect should be inferred from a cleaning run.
Classify disinfection proceduresDisinfecting floor cleaning
It is only an option if the machine, soil and agent used are compatible and if the concentration, exposure time, preparation and control have been determined.
UV-C or other room methods
This requires specially designed systems and a secure process. Personnel and radiation protection, positioning, shadowing, dose, and documentation must be checked for each product.
Unrecorded tasks
Contact surfaces, instruments and the reprocessing of medical products are not tasks for an ordinary floor cleaning robot.
preselection
Which robotics solution is suitable for the task?
Specific models and technical specifications will only be recommended after the route or area has been surveyed.
fallback level
What happens in case of a malfunction or failure
A robot deployment requires a fallback option before the pilot takes off.
Pilot project in hospital operations
Start with a route or area
A limited task is tested with the participating teams under real-world conditions.
Record current process
Document the start, destination, goods or area being transported, time window, current effort and participating teams.
Check building and hygiene
Capture doors, thresholds, elevators, airlocks, zones, loading bays, networks and permissions.
Define acceptance criteria
Before starting, define what will be considered a suitable deployment.
Real-world testing
Test regular operations and typical exceptions involving logistics, technology, cleaning, hygiene and affected stations.
Evaluate together
Only after the pilot project do you decide on adjustments, rollout, or cancellation.
Location-based invoice
Calculate profitability from the actual process
We do not promise any general savings. After the initial assessment, we can determine which tasks can be automated, which will remain unchanged, and what investment would be necessary.
clear boundaries
What these robots cannot do
Robotics supports specific operational tasks. Medical responsibility and clinical approvals remain with the hospital.
Frequently asked questions
Answers before route check
Elevators, doors, hygiene zones and operation under real conditions determine feasibility.
Can a transport robot use an elevator?
Only if the robot system and elevator control are technically compatible and the necessary approvals are available.
How are doors and locks passed through?
Depending on the door, access is granted either via a technical connection or through a defined authorization procedure by personnel. Fire protection and access control functions must not be bypassed.
Is it permissible for a robot to travel through hygiene or sterile areas?
Not a blanket rule. Accessible and restricted zones are determined in consultation with the hygiene department. For specific areas, the intended purpose, cleanability, and approval of the specific system are decisive.
Can a cleaning robot disinfect?
Floor cleaning is not automatically disinfection. A disinfecting application requires suitable equipment, a compatible procedure, and defined controls.
Can the robot operate during hospital operations?
This may be possible on an approved route. Peak times, bed traffic, and emergency traffic must be taken into account in the pilot project.
How much does a hospital robot cost?
This depends on the task, load or area, floors, building integration, number of devices and support.
Next Step
Which route or area would you like to check?
Start with a specific transport route or cleaning area. We'll examine the task, building, handover procedures, and operational requirements, and show you the next logical step.