The staff shortage in nursing care is evident every day: positions remain unfilled, and existing staff take on housekeeping tasks that are not part of their core responsibilities. Robotics cannot replace nurses—but it can handle routine background work, freeing up more time for residents.
Where time is really lost in nursing homes
Nursing staff spend a significant portion of their working time not providing direct care, but performing tasks that do not require nursing qualifications: cleaning hallways and common areas, transporting laundry, distributing meals, or preparing supplies. These tasks are necessary—but they tie up resources that are needed elsewhere.
This is the starting point for robotics in care: not replacing caregivers, but relieving them of standardized, repetitive tasks. Any facility manager considering its use should first carefully examine where capacity is tied up in the daily routine.
Cleaning: the most obvious area of application
Floor cleaning in nursing homes is a typical area for automation. Corridors, common rooms, and entrance areas must be cleaned daily—with consistent quality and with as little disruption to operations as possible.
Autonomous cleaning robots like the Gausium Phantas Alternatively, the J40 can follow a pre-programmed plan, avoiding people and obstacles and reporting completed cleanings. Human cleaning staff then take over what machines cannot: sanitary areas, rooms with doors, corners, and situations requiring judgment.
In a typical facility with long corridors and fixed cleaning times, a robot can handle the basic cleaning of these areas. The key lies in the prior site survey: Which areas are suitable? Where are there narrow passages, carpets, or door thresholds that a robot cannot navigate?
Real-world models for care facilities:
- J40 (Mid-range): suitable for clinics, nursing homes, structured interiors
- Gausium Phantas and Gausium MiraAutonomous cleaning with good navigation in busy environments
- TN10 (compact): for smaller areas, narrow corridors or practice areas
Limitations: Cleaning robots are not all-round cleaning helpers. They are suitable for predictable areas with stable conditions. Unstructured areas, spontaneous incidents (spilled items, falls), or hygiene-sensitive areas remain the responsibility of humans.
Internal transport: laundry, meals, materials
A little-noticed but time-consuming area of work in care facilities is internal transport. Food trolleys have to be moved from the kitchen to the wards, laundry has to be collected and returned, and supplies have to be delivered to the nursing stations.
Service robots like the BellaBot of Pudu or the HolaBot Originally developed for the catering industry, these devices are increasingly used in nursing homes and hospitals—anywhere tray or goods transport takes place along defined routes. They operate autonomously, call elevators, and provide notifications via display or sound.
For heavier loads — such as laundry containers or supply trolleys up to 200 kg — the Juno Lift comes from the AutoXing Juno series It's in question. It autonomously reaches under a cart, lifts it, and transports it to its destination. This particularly relieves the burden on nursing assistants who otherwise have to push heavy carts several times a day.
Important: These transport robots operate on defined routes within a known building. They require a setup phase during which the environment is mapped. They cannot independently handle spontaneous tasks or unknown destinations.
Night operation: when the robot continues working
A structural advantage of cleaning robots, particularly relevant in the care setting, is that they operate at night. When residents are asleep, hallways are empty, and there are no disturbances, the robot can perform the initial cleaning. Human cleaning staff then take over quality control and clean areas inaccessible to the robot in the morning.
For facilities with staff shortages on the early shift, this can mean a noticeable reduction in workload. The prerequisites are a reliable charging infrastructure and a clear concept outlining what the robot cleans and within which time frame.
What robotics can't do — and what that means for decision-makers
Let's be honest: robotics in the care sector is not a panacea. It does not solve the structural staff shortage. It does not replace qualified caregivers, social interactions, or care decisions.
What she provides is limited, but valuable: she takes over structured, location-based, repetitive tasks that are currently performed by nursing assistants or cleaning staff. This frees up capacity—and that is precisely the crucial factor in a situation of chronic staff shortages.
For facility managers, this means: The right starting point is not “Which robot should I buy?”, but “Which tasks currently cost us a disproportionate amount of time, and which of these can be standardized?” Based on this, a pilot project can be defined.
Introduction: Site survey, pilot, rollout
SEBOTICS approaches robotics projects in three phases:
- Site survey: Site visit, analysis of spaces and processes, clarification of technical requirements (floors, door widths, elevator compatibility, Wi-Fi)
- Pilot: One or two robots in a defined area of operation, typical runtime four to eight weeks, configuration adjustments
- Rollout: Expansion to other areas or locations, SLA, staff training, optional Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) via SERC
This process is deliberately gradual. Care facilities have specific requirements — hygiene, noise protection at night, safety distance to residents with limited mobility — which must be tested in a pilot project before scaling up.
Economic efficiency: what pays off
Specific ROI figures cannot be reliably provided without knowledge of the institution. However, what can be said in general is:
- Cleaning robots are particularly cost-effective for large, uniform areas and high cleaning frequency.
- Transport robots offer the greatest relief where employees currently spend many hours per week on routes that require no qualifications.
- Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) reduces investment costs and makes entry more predictable.
- Experience shows that the actual area coverage of a cleaning robot is around 60 to 70 percent of the data sheet value — this should be factored into every calculation.
A pilot project with clear success criteria is the surest way to obtain reliable figures for your own institution.
Regulatory and data protection
A topic that regularly arises in care facilities: Do cleaning robots or transport robots collect data that falls under data protection law?
The good news: The cleaning robots mentioned here primarily use LiDAR and cameras for navigation—not for identifying people. Nevertheless, it is advisable to consult with the facility's data protection officer before deployment and to inform the residents and the works council, if one exists. SEBOTICS assisted with this documentation.
Conclusion and next step
Staff shortages in nursing care are not a short-term phenomenon. Facilities that are now automating routine tasks are creating capacity buffers for their core task: the care of residents.
The sensible approach is a structured pilot project — not a blind purchase. SEBOTICS accompanies the entire process from the initial site visit to ongoing operation.
Robotics in nursing care — Overview of application areas | Hospital robots from SEBOTICS
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FAQ
Are cleaning robots replacing cleaning staff in nursing homes?
No. Cleaning robots take over defined areas such as hallways and common rooms. Sanitary facilities, rooms with closed doors, and all situations requiring judgment remain the responsibility of humans. The effect is relief, not replacement.
What technical requirements must a care facility meet?
The most important requirements are: stable Wi-Fi in the operational areas, suitable flooring (no deep carpets), sufficient door widths (from approx. 80 cm depending on the model), and a space for the charging station. The site survey will determine the exact requirements.
How do residents and staff react to robots?
Experience shows that residents usually greet mobile robots with curiosity. Staff react differently—therefore, training and early involvement are important. A pilot project helps to test the reaction in a specific environment.
How much does an initial project cost?
This depends on the size of the facility, the area of the space, and the model chosen. SEBOTICS It offers Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS), which allows for a monthly fee instead of a one-time purchase. Specific figures will be available after the site survey.
Is robotics also useful for smaller care facilities?
Yes, for facilities of a certain size and layout. For very small facilities with few residents and short distances, the cost-benefit ratio is often unfavorable. This can be quickly assessed in an initial consultation.