David Crabb

Robots have been supporting hospital operations for years, from surgery and rehabilitation to logistics. Many people are familiar with how robotic systems have reshaped surgery and improved patient outcomes. Less visible, but equally important, are the robots that keep hospitals running efficiently behind the scenes. Over the past decade, SKA Robotics has supported the healthcare industry across a range of applications, including hospital logistics robots, surgical systems, prosthetics, and handheld medical devices. Aethon’s equipment transport robots, for example, have been delivering meals, medications, and clean linens to patients for more than 20 years. Rovex is tackling in-hospital patient transport, a physically demanding task with high injury rates. This panel will explore the challenges of deploying robots in hospital logistics, including patient privacy, liability, system integration, and entering a conservative market dominated by incumbent vendors. We will also discuss the strategies used to overcome these barriers.