Yandex delivery rovers are already performing real work in Moscow hospitals. Since March, six machines have transported over 3 tons of cargo and made about 8,000 in-hospital deliveries in two capital hospitals. During this time, they have helped staff save over 3,500 hours that were previously spent on walking routes between buildings.
The rovers operate in City Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after N.I. Pirogov and City Clinical Hospital No. 15 named after O.M. Filatov. They transport biomaterials and analyses, medicines, consumables, returnable containers, reagents, and other internal cargo between departments.
The pilot project by Moscow authorities in cooperation with Yandex started on March 16. Its goal is to determine which in-hospital routes can be assigned to rovers and how much time this will save employees.
Such technology best handles repetitive tasks when cargo needs to be regularly delivered along the same known route. At the first stage, the project organizers first had to explain to doctors and nurses that robots should not replace them – their task is different: to take over some routes and free up staff time.
In May, a survey was conducted in two hospitals, involving 150 people. 71% of respondents positively evaluated the introduction of robots, and 83% believe that such technology should be used in other hospitals as well.
Yandex explained that a rover's work in a hospital differs from regular urban delivery. In the city, it solves the "last mile" problem, while in a hospital, it becomes part of the organization's internal logistics and works not with ordinary users, but with a professional team. At the same time, the technology of movement within the hospital territory is arranged in the same way as in an urban environment.
The rover uses existing infrastructure – paths, sidewalks, and driveways. It moves independently thanks to a complex of sensors, and a neural network calculates the most optimal trajectory.
In late August, demonstration tests of a robot dog control system designed for patrolling infrastructure facilities will also take place in the Moscow "Lomonosov" cluster. Robot dogs will be able to patrol warehouses, construction sites, parking lots, and other areas, identifying emergency situations.