MEDI ROBOT

In hospitals, 20–30% of nurses’ working time is spent on internal transport tasks such as moving medication and materials. Currently, fewer than 10% of European hospitals use autonomous logistics robots, mainly due to limitations in reliability, IT integration, and safe multi-robot coordination in human-dense environments. The project focuses on addressing these shortcomings in system integration and reliability.
MEDI-ROBOT develops and validates, within 30 months, an autonomous logistics robot system for hospitals in the Dutch–German border region. The system is designed for safe, reliable, and structural deployment in dynamic healthcare environments, where staff shortages and increasing healthcare demand lead to high workloads. Starting from an existing prototype (TRL 5–6), an integrated, modular robot platform will be developed that combines autonomous navigation, sensor fusion, embedded electronics, RFID identification, and integration with hospital IT systems. An innovative element is the application of robust sensor technology from the maritime sector in indoor environments with high safety requirements.
The cross-border consortium brings together complementary expertise from the Netherlands (system architecture, software, healthcare IT integration) and Germany (mechanical design, industrial engineering, sensor technology).
Validation will take place in hospitals on both sides of the border, scaling the system to TRL 7 (demonstration in an operational healthcare context). The results include a validated robot system, implementation guidelines, and transferable system architectures for broader application within the programme area. The project strengthens regional innovation capacity and contributes to the sustainable deployment of healthcare staff, improved continuity of care, and structural productivity gains in the healthcare sector.