ESA title

SNA

  • ACTIVITYFeasibility Study
  • STATUSOngoing
  • THEMATIC AREAHealth

Objectives of the service

SNA objectives

Users and their needs

Yuman addresses the major challenge in the European healthcare systems, the shortage of nurses. Yuman’s
robots assist nurses by automating the transport of equipment in hospitals, like food, medical equipment or lab
samples. The robots are currently assisting nurses with the transport of medical equipment in two Danish
hospitals. Yuman targets departments who are under pressure because of the nurse shortage, worldwide.
Throughout the SNA project, 51 nurses from over 10 Danish hospitals were interviewed, and over 200 hours
were spent doing observations in different hospital departments.

Service/ system concept

SNA supports the transformation of the healthcare system by introducing automated, autonomous operating
solutions to increase the efficiency, flexibility and agility in hospitals, and specifically addressing the major
challenge in the European healthcare systems, the shortage of nurses. It will free up valuable nursing time, thus
improving the time available to care about the patients.
The SNA provides an unmanned medical equipment delivery robot service, to effectively lower the pressure on
the nurses and other healthcare personnel by taking over some of the time-consuming tasks of delivering items
and equipment between departments of hospitals, nursing homes and similar healthcare institutions.

Space Added Value

The SNA robot integrates GNSS and visual navigations, enabling it to work seamlessly within hospital buildings
as well as outside between buildings. The GNSS satellite navigation guides the robot safely in real-time when
operating and manoeuvring in open areas. It is integrated with visual navigation algorithms for safe indoor
movements to secure seamless indoor-outdoor transitions.

Current Status

SNA current status

Yuman’s robots started to be tested in two Danish hospitals in June 2023, and they continue to do so. During
the tests, the Yuman team is gathering feedback on the robot’s design and measuring the interaction between
the nurses and the robot so as to develop a solution that can be transferable to other departments. The initial
tests showed that the robots are able to provide valuable assistance to the nurses, and enable them to spend
more time near their patients.

Status Date

Updated: 04 August 2023