NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner announced on Sunday RNS would become the first hospital in Australia to use the robots – automated guided vehicles – to transport food, linen and other supplies around its new acute services building.
Every day the AGVs will deliver and collect about 3600 meal trays, hundreds of clean and dirty linen items and other waste from around the hospital.
‘Not only will they assist staff to do their jobs more efficiently without the risk of painful injuries, they will reduce accidental cross-contamination of goods during transport,’ Ms Skinner said.
Royal North Shore’s 13 AGVs, which cost $4 million in total, have arrived from Germany and will be operational later this month.
The flatbed-styled vehicles are designed to slide under trolleys for safe, quiet and efficient transport of supplies around the hospital.
They will travel in designated lifts, will not enter clinical areas and are equipped with flashing lights, turn signals and audible voice technology to alert people as they approach.
Source: Sky News Australia