NHS trials helper robot to deliver medicines around hospitals

A robot that uses the same technology as self-driving vehicles is transporting medicines around hospitals as part of a new trial. The'helper bot' is being used to carry and deliver prescriptions and other items around Milton Keynes University Hospital, helping to relieve pressure on human staff. It is the creation of British firm Academy of Robotics, which has already worked on autonomous technology for its'Kar-Go' self-driving vehicle. Just like Kar-Go, the bot uses sonar and LiDAR technology to navigate around obstacles such as people, wheelchairs and beds inside the hospital. The robot uses a combination of three types of sensors to see both into the distance and to understand how close objects are and how they are moving in relation to its own path.