Charlotte, N.C.-based Levine Children's Hospital has become the first U.S. hospital to use Gita robots to transport up to 40 pounds of cargo within hospital walls and enable contactless delivery, according to an Aug. 25 Charlotte Business Journal report.
Five things to know:
- The children's hospital, part of Charlotte-based Atrium Health's network, said each robot has multiple cameras on the front to recognize a human. It helps them to avoid bumping into people and obstacles. The robots do not store information or videos, according to the report.
- The robots help hospital staff with contactless delivery, including prizes and donations for the hospital's patients. They also help motivate children undergoing rehabilitation to walk more.
- Levine Children's has three robots, each costing about $3,600. The robots are not autonomous and require a person to function.
- They have also been used in airports to deliver food, said Meredith Dean, business operations manager for the hospital's Seacrest Studios, a media center sponsored by the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.
- "We'll be interested to see if this creates a ripple effect with other Seacrest Studios or hospitals across the country," Ms. Dean said.