Human-robot interactions in autonomous hospital transports

Abstract

The integration of robotics in nursing is a significant shift in healthcare, driven by the aging global population and the increasing demand for care. Robots in nursing can handle less technical tasks such as patient transport and rehabilitation activities. This support allows caregivers to focus on less strenuous nursing duties and more direct patient care. Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) plays an important role in this challenging context. In this research, we present an autonomous hospital transport system based on the ROS 2 framework, focusing on enhancing HRI in the healthcare environment. It encompasses the development of a control architecture for autonomous robot behavior, the implementation of machine learning for emergency detection, and the creation of a user-friendly interface for both patients and staff. The proposed concepts were validated in real-world scenarios in three different hospitals in Germany. This not only demonstrates the practical application of this system but also shares insights and methods, encouraging further advancement in the field of healthcare robotics.