Utilizing the indoor delivery service robot FORRO provided by Kawasaki Heavy Industries as an initiative to reduce the burden on medical professionals and improve work efficiency, delivery services have been officially introduced at Fujita University Hospital (Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture) and Fujita University Tokyo Advanced Medical Research Center (Ota Ward, Tokyo) from April 1st, 2024.
Currently, we provide indoor delivery services of samples and drugs by FORRO at Fujita University Hospital and Fujita University Tokyo Advanced Medical Research Center, and have been engaged in more than 8,500 delivery operations (as of July 10th, 2024) including trial services. The introduction effect confirmed in the trial service (July 10th, 2023 to March 31st, 2024) at Fujita University Hospital was highly evaluated, leading to the formal introduction this time.
Specifically, it has been confirmed that for each FORRO unit, three nursing assistants can be transferred to other duties during weekday daytime, and effects such as substitution for delivery work by midnight nurses and sample collection work by clinical inspection department every morning are confirmed. These introduction effects have been announced at the "26th Japan Medical Management Association Academic Conference" on June 21st, 2024 and the "International Modern Hospital Show 2024" on July 10th. We will continue to consider further utilization methods of service robots at Fujita University Hospital and Fujita University Tokyo Advanced Medical Research Center for reducing the burden on medical professionals and improving work efficiency in the future.
We will continue to consider further utilization methods of service robots at Fujita University Hospital and Fujita University Tokyo Advanced Medical Research Center for reducing the burden on medical professionals and improving work efficiency in the future.
◆Fujita University Hospital (Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture)
| Formal introduction date | : | Monday, April 1st, 2024 | |
| Operating style | : | FORRO 3 units, 24-hour operation | |
| Route | : | University Hospital A building 4th to 12th floor ⇔ Clinical inspection department, pharmacy department, ER room ⇔ Clinical inspection department | |
| Use cases. | : | Sample delivery and drug transportation (operating with time zone switching) |
◆Fujita University Tokyo Advanced Medical Research Center (Ota Ward, Tokyo)
| Formal introduction date | : | Monday, April 1st, 2024 | |
| Operating style | : | FORRO 1 unit, operated during daytime | |
| Route | : | Advanced rehabilitation center, day surgery center, imaging. Center, precision examination center, musculoskeletal disease center, Rejuvenation center <-> clinical examination room. | |
| Use cases. | : | Specimen transportation. |
The main features of the delivery service using FORRO are as follows:
(1) 24-hour stable operation.
| - | Sensing a wide range, it can run safely even during congested hours when there are many outpatients. Also, it can run reliably even with hospital-specific environmental changes (such as opening and closing of doors, presence of carts or beds, etc.). | ||
| - | It can operate continuously for 6 hours with a 45-minute charge. It automatically charges between tasks to maximize operating time. | ||
| - | It achieves the first "robot and human ride together in an elevator" in Japan for continuous operation at the hospital. Specifically, it enables emergency disembarking for priority beds during touch panel or manual operation, or when riding is congested. |
(2) Safe and speedy movement with efficient routes.
| - | Equipped with a system that adjusts to the optimal speed according to the congestion, time zone, and area surroundings. It switches to high-speed mode while ensuring safety in an uncongested environment. | ||
| - | Selects the optimal route to the destination while detecting people and objects around. |
(3) Circulates over a large area and executes tasks at multiple locations.
| - | Equipped with a security-locked cargo space of approximately 95 liters. Shelves can be customized according to the use. | ||
| - | It is possible to patrol multiple wards. In addition to patrol running on a designated route at a fixed time, it is also possible to patrol on a customized route each time. |
(4) Easy installation.
| - | Because it is not necessary to install a dedicated Wi-Fi for the robot, initial installation costs can be significantly reduced. | ||
| - | It can be easily operated with a simple user interface. | ||
| - | It is possible to drive according to the hospital's traffic rules, such as right-hand or left-hand driving. |
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Demonstration process so far: Phase 1: Verification of transferring within the same floor using robots with autonomous driving function and elevator operation by people with assistance for transferring to different floors. Period: Saturday, October 23, 2021 to Sunday, October 31, 2021 (completed) Phase 2: Verification of transferring between different floors using robots with autonomous driving function and elevator linkage function, including test sample delivery and monitoring, and grasp of the position information of the robot using indoor location information service 'mapxus Driven by Kawasaki' Period: Friday, February 4, 2022 to Tuesday, February 15, 2022 (completed) Phase 3: Verification of collaborative work between service robots and hospital systems in hospitals, and verification of the size, structure, and usability of the robot's cargo compartment Period: 1st Time: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 (completed)
Phase 1:
| - | Verification contents | : | Verification of transferring within the same floor using robots with autonomous driving function and elevator operation by people Verification of transferring to different floors with assistance | |
| - | Period | : | From Saturday, October 23, 2021 to Sunday, October 31, 2021 (completed) |
Phase 2:
| - | Verification contents | : | Verification of transferring between different floors using robots with autonomous driving function and elevator linkage function, including test sample delivery and monitoring, and grasp of the position information of the robot using indoor location information service 'mapxus Driven by Kawasaki' Verification (sample transportation and monitoring), indoor location information service "mapxus Driven by Kawasaki"* Understanding the location information of robots using mapxus Driven by Kawasaki indoor location information service* | |
| - | Period | : | From Friday, February 4, 2022 to Tuesday, February 15, 2022 (completed) |
Phase 3:
| - | Verification contents | : | Verification of collaborative work between service robots and hospital systems in hospitals, and verification of the size, structure, and usability of the robot's cargo compartment Verification of size, structure, and usability | |
| - | Period | : | First session on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 (completed) Second attempt: December 16 (Fri) to December 23 (Fri) in 2022 (completed). |
【Trial service】
| - | Verification contents | : | Confirmation of introduction effects in service robot actual operation | |
| - | Period | : | July 10, 2023 (Mon) to March 31, 2024 (completed) |
・Announced on October 18, 2021, "Start of service robot verification experiment at Fujita Health University Hospital toward realizing a smart hospital~Building a future medical environment where "humans" and "robots" coexist by reducing the burden on medical professionals~"
・Announced on February 16, 2022, "Implementation of verification experiment with arm-equipped service robots at Fujita Health University Hospital~Achieving sustainable provision of high-quality medical care through the reduction of burdens on medical professionals and the improvement of work efficiency~"
・Announced on August 10, 2022, "Verification experiment with service robots for indoor delivery conducted at hospitals~Achieving the world's highest level of autonomous driving performance and safe and reliable driving in hospitals through jointly developed robots"
・Announced on December 20, 2022, "Verification experiment with service robots for indoor delivery conducted at hospitals~Verified 24-hour operation by coordinating multiple robots and elevators~"
・Announced on July 10, 2023, "Start of trial service for service robots for indoor delivery at Fujita Health University Hospital"
・Announced on November 29, 2023, "Introduction of new model service robot FORRO at Fujita Health University Tokyo Advanced Medical Research Center"
*Regarding indoor location information service "mapxus Driven by Kawasaki"