The Role of Cobots in Healthcare

The cobots are coming.

Yes, you read that right, and no, it isn’t a typo: cobots, a new generation of “collaborative robots,” are hitting the scene in the world of healthcare, taking on some nonclinical work that typically falls to the nursing staff.

It’s an exciting development that might conjure up nurse-droid scenes from Star Wars — though of course our real-world version isn’t near as advanced… yet.

What are cobots?

Cobots are smallish, relatively person-sized robots that perform collaborative functions with human staff. They’re also mobile to one degree or another: Moxi, the cobot model we’re discussing today, can navigate flat surfaces like what you find in the typical hospital setting, and it can even open doors and interact with elevator panels using its robotic arm.

This combination of collaboration and mobility stands in contrast to the typical industrial robot, which is roughly the opposite: a powerful stationary machine that humans must steer clear of if they want to keep their limbs intact!

Why are cobots a significant development in healthcare?

Cobots are making a difference in healthcare because nurses are in short supply, and the range of tasks most nurses are expected to perform is staggering. By offloading some nonclinical and support tasks to cobots, healthcare organizations can alleviate the staffing crunch. But even more importantly, nurses can focus on delivering care and educating patients.

It’s a simple calculation, really: a nurse that’s lugging equipment or supplies around is a nurse that isn’t directly serving patients. The lugging still has to get done, but the nurse is capable of much more valuable work. Cobots can help nurses focus on those valuable tasks — and the invaluable human touch.

What tasks are cobots taking on?

Cobots are able to deliver supplies to patient rooms or to nursing stations. They can make rounds, deliver lab samples and medications, and even use their AI-powered systems to help balance and prioritize workloads.

Moxi units can be directly ordered around: nurses can give it commands using the touchscreen on the cobot’s “chest.” Or the cobots can work autonomously, running deliveries and automatically prioritizing its tasks based on urgency or workload.

They also serve limited social functions: the robots have “eyes” made up of lights that can change configuration. It stops for selfies and says hello, and it can sense people and equipment so it doesn’t crash into anything on its journeys.

What are the challenges and current limitations?

Currently, the field of cobots is very, very new. The hospitals already running Moxi units are early adopters, and there’s plenty left to figure out. Moxi units can map out floors to improve decision-making, but this takes time.

Another challenge shows up in any collaborative environment: knowing who’s doing what when can be a challenge. Moxi cobots can’t handle every single delivery task, and they can’t change up their pace during a crisis like humans can. Humans and cobots may sometimes trip over each other, in a way, either both showing up with the same delivery or both missing one. This happens in all-human workforces, too, but people can more naturally flex and communicate with each other. Tossing robots into the mix makes things a little more complicated.

Last, cobots require certain accommodations to function well. They can pick up supplies and deliver them elsewhere, but only if those supplies are stored in a way that the cobot can handle. The practical result is that hospitals may have to adjust their way of working to accommodate the cobot, which may not always be welcome (or even possible).

The Future of Cobots in Healthcare

As with any early automation technology, cobots show plenty of potential — even though much of it remains in the future. Will we have Star Wars-style nurse droids in a decade or two? Who’s to say. But the technology has to start somewhere, and Moxi cobots seem like a great first step.