An original medical logistics robot system design for the complex environment of hospitals with dynamic obstacles

Purpose: COVID-19 has aggregated the need for a non-contact medical logistic system. A non-contact robot with self-navigation ability has greatly enhanced the efficiency of the medical logistic system. This paper aims to design a new medical logistics robot system for the complex environment of hospitals with dynamic obstacles. Design/methodology/approach: Targeting a medical logistics robot system for a large-scale hospital environment, this study proposed a dynamic obstacle avoidance system to reduce the robot’s delay time as well as frequent route switching. In the algorithm, this study proposed a new loop closure detection with an artificial correction factor. Moreover, this study presented enhanced 3D object detection, improving detection accuracy in hospital environments. Findings: Experimental results confirm that the robot can move along its global path and reach its destination without colliding with stationary or moving obstacles. Originality/value: The medical logistics robot system has safe and stable performance in real hospital scenarios. The implementation verifies that the robot has effectiveness and reliability in both hardware and software design.