Robotics Innovation Sprint: Automation in hospitals
How can you improve internal logistics in a hospital’s sterile center? Robotics companies from across Denmark spent two days at a hospital in Southern Jutland together with hospital staff getting to know the challenges and identifying automation solutions.
Between 50–80 case carts with surgical equipment are cleaned, packed and transported every day at Sygehus Sonderjylland in Sonderborg. It’s a challenging process involving many human resources and difficult handling, as each case-cart weighs between 50-70 kg and has multiple stops during the process in both aseptic and non-aseptic areas. Today, the process is managed manually, but the hospital has long wanted to streamline it in an automated setup.
To identify ways of automating logistics at the sterile department, six robot and automation companies were invited by Sygehus Sonderjylland and Odense Robotics to participate in a two-day Robotics Innovation Sprint at the hospital.
Here, AFRY, Gibotech, InCite Robotics, ProjectPartners, Omron and Yuman had the opportunity to interact with hospital staff and management and closely examine the hospital’s challenges before sitting down to develop customised proposals.
“We have been able to use our knowledge and design a solution for the project here in the hospital. It’s been great to be able to talk to the staff and see the facilities for ourselves,” says Jürg Meier, Senior Project Manager at Project Partners.
At the end of day two, the companies presented their proposals to the staff and management at Sygehus Sonderjylland and received individual feedback. If the hospital continues with any of the proposals, the next step will be a tender process, as Sygehus Sonderjylland is a public entity.
A unique opportunity
The six companies left the Sprint having forged new connections and discussed new solutions for the sterile center department, while Sygehus Sonderjylland was presented with new ideas that could be relevant for their future development.
“It is very interesting to be allowed to open our doors and describe the challenges that we have to companies. And then take the opportunity to see, whether we can solve our challenges with new technology or with existing technology put together in a new way,” says Thomas Nis Lorenzen, Logistic Manager at Sygehus Sonderjylland.
Not only does a Sprint provide Sygehus Sonderjylland with a unique opportunity to develop customised solutions for their specific problems, but it also offers the participating companies the chance to enter new industries and have a close interaction with customers in an intensive process to rethink already known technology in a new and innovative way. A win-win opportunity for all parties.
“This has given us the opportunity to get closer to the customer and see the challenges in its real-life setting. If we came here by ourselves, there would not be allocated the same time and same resources. We get way more out of this model, where you are part of a planned setup,” says Palle Veje, Business Development Logistic at Omron.
Want to have your own Robotics Innovation Sprint?
Are you an industrial company looking for new ways to apply robotics, automation, and drone solutions? Odense Robotics can assist you by facilitating a Robotics Innovation Sprint tailored to your tech challenge.