ENDORSE Concept

Abstract

Hospitals are considered a field of logistic robotics of high commercial potential and therefore a handful of mobile robot solutions exist. However, they have failed to trigger widespread acceptance by the market. The ENDORSE system will pursue 4 innovation pillars: an infrastructure-less multi-robot navigation, i.e. minimum installation of sensors and communications buses inside the building for the localization of robots, targets and docking stations; advanced HRI for resolving deadlocks and achieving efficient sharing of space resources in crowded environments; the deployment of ENDORSE software as a cloud-based service facilitating its integration with corporate software solutions such as ERP and CRM, complying with GDPR data security requirements; and allowing for reconfigurable and modular hardware architectures so that diverse modules can be easily swapped. ENDORSE functionality will be demonstrated via the integration of an e-diagnostic support module for vital signs monitoring, facilitating connectivity to cloud-based EHR, and validated in an operational hospital environment for realistic assessment.