AGV solution for yet another hospital

When the 140,000-square-meter super hospital in Gødstrup is completed as scheduled in 2020, part of its internal logistics will be handled by a custom-designed AGV solution from Gibotech in Odense.

An AGV is a driverless truck—a mobile robot—designed to transport goods and other supplies throughout the new super hospital in the Central Denmark Region.

It’s a major step forward that we’re now involved in yet another hospital construction project. In addition to being pleased with the order for Gødstrup Regional Hospital, the contract—which was awarded through a competitive bidding process—also means that the region’s other hospitals can take advantage of the contract terms if they wish, so we naturally hope to be allowed to supply even more AGVs to the hospitals in Central Jutland.

Mikkel Bjerregaard, Sales Director at Gibotech

Robots in the hallways

An order has now been placed with Gødstrup Regional Hospital for a number of AGVs, along with the necessary infrastructure to enable the AGVs to operate throughout the hospital. This includes charging stations, control systems, drop-off points, and elevator control, so the AGVs can use the elevators on their own. And the AGVs won’t just be tucked away in the basement. The goal is for all transport carts from the regional warehouse, the central sterilization department, the laundry, the kitchen, etc., to be transported by the AGVs.

The intelligent mobile robots will move among the staff as they travel by elevator to the various wards. They will typically travel between the service area and the warehouse, laundry, sterilization center, etc., but also to specific locations in both patient wards and clinics, where they will drop off their carts at designated stations and take the empty ones back down to the basement. The AGVs will not operate in areas where patients are present.

– AGVs are already becoming a natural part of the work environment, both in hospitals and in various industrial settings. Efforts are also underway on several fronts to raise awareness and promote the potential of AGVs in hospitals. This is happening, among other things, through a network for mobile robots, where representatives from hospitals and suppliers, as well as other stakeholders in Denmark, exchange experiences and new initiatives in the field of mobile robotics—all to ensure the success of future AGV installations, concludes Mikkel Bjerregaard.

The framework agreement covers the complete delivery of AGVs, charging stations, and supply station bays to the hospitals of the Central Denmark Region. Under the framework agreement, Gibotech is guaranteed delivery of seven AGVs, five charging stations, and 102 supply station bays to the New Hospital in the West (DNV-Gødstrup).

The Central Denmark Region expects to purchase an additional 2–12 AGVs, 1–5 charging stations, and 30–100 supply stations during the term of the framework agreement.

The New Hospital in the West (DNV-Gødstrup) is scheduled to be completed in early 2020.