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6 AI nurse robots that are changing healthcare
AI nurse robots like AIREC, Moxi, PARO, Pepper, TUG and XENEX are transforming healthcare. Discover how they assist with nursing tasks and help address staffing shortages.
AI-powered robots are becoming common in modern healthcare facilities, driven by the need to enhance patient care and operational efficiency.
These autonomous AI systems -- often called nurse robots -- are designed to handle many nursing care tasks. For instance, they can accurately deliver medications, quickly transport lab specimens, assist in surgeries, disinfect areas, help with patient rehabilitation and provide elderly care.
According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, the demand for robotic nurses is expected to rise as the global nursing shortage grows, with projections reaching 10 million by 2030. To address this challenge, AI nursing robots are increasingly integrated into healthcare systems, assisting medical teams by taking on routine and labor-intensive tasks -- such as patient monitoring and transporting patients between different areas of the hospitals. As a result, these robots are becoming indispensable members of healthcare teams, transforming patient experiences, alleviating staffing shortages, preventing staff burnout and streamlining complex hospital operations.
Advancements in AI have raised ethical concerns about AI and nursing robots potentially displacing human nurses and other healthcare professionals. However, it's estimated that by 2030, about 90% of nursing tasks will still require the unique skills, judgment and compassion that only humans can provide. This underscores the value of human interaction in patient care. Instead of replacing human jobs, AI-powered robots are designed to help nurses and medical staff by freeing their time to focus on more complex and emotionally demanding interventions.
Here are five nurse robots that are transforming healthcare through AI.
1. AIREC
AIREC -- which stands for AI-driven Robot for Embrace and Care -- is a humanoid robot currently in the testing phase. Developed in Japan, it aims to tackle the challenges posed by the country's rapidly aging population and the resulting shortage of caregivers.
AIREC is designed to assist in elderly care by performing tasks such as gently repositioning patients -- a crucial action for changing diapers and preventing bedsores. It uses soft robotics technology that enables gentler and more adaptable patient interactions. AIREC also uses a deep neural network to predict joint movements and adjust the force applied in real time, ensuring safe and gentle handling of patients.
Beyond patient handling, AIREC's versatility extends to activities such as cooking and folding laundry, aiming to alleviate the workload on human caregivers.
2. Moxi
Moxi is a healthcare robot developed by Diligent Robotics. Its primary purpose is to support healthcare workers by handling nonpatient-facing tasks using advanced machine learning algorithms and real-time data processing capabilities.
According to The Robot Report, Moxi has surpassed 1 million deliveries across its entire fleet and is currently integrated into 23 health systems, encompassing 31 hospital-level partnerships across the U.S. The robot is connected to hospital electronic health record systems and is equipped with a robotic arm and gripper. It can autonomously navigate hospital environments -- including hallways and elevators -- to deliver medications, restock supplies and assist caregivers. The design of this social robot incorporates intelligent features -- such as blinking LED eyes and a head that turns toward people when spoken to -- promoting friendly and unobtrusive interactions with hospital staff.
Nurses can request Moxi's assistance using text or call from hospital-issued phones, receiving prompt responses and estimated arrival times. Moxi is designed to adapt to a hospital's layout and workflow over time to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness in supporting medical teams.
3. PARO
PARO is an advanced therapeutic robot that provides comfort, stimulation and emotional support to individuals with mental health struggles and cognitive disabilities -- such as dementia and Alzheimer's. With its soft antimicrobial fur, PARO resembles a baby harp seal and mimics its sound. It offers the benefits of animal-assisted therapy in hospitals, long-term care facilities and nursing homes, where using live animals may pose risks or logistical challenges.
PARO is equipped with tactile, light, auditory and temperature sensors that enable it to perceive and respond to its environment. It can recognize the direction of sounds, identify words and respond to being held or stroked. Studies have shown that PARO can positively affect mood, behavior and social interaction.
PARO has been integrated into hospitals, nursing homes and care facilities worldwide -- including the U.S, Japan, Sweden, Denmark and Italy.
4. Pepper
Pepper is a humanoid robot developed by SoftBank Robotics. It interacts with humans using expressive facial features and engaging capabilities. The robot's head has four microphones, two HD cameras in the mouth and forehead, and a 3D depth sensor behind the eyes. Additionally, there is a gyroscope in Pepper's torso and touch sensors in its head and hands.
In healthcare settings, Pepper helps by guiding patients, providing directions, answering basic questions and offering emotional support. Pepper can also assist with administrative tasks -- such as patient check-ins, providing information and guiding visitors. This helps to free up healthcare staff to focus on more critical care duties.
Pepper's role in healthcare focuses primarily on enhancing the patient experience and providing assistance rather than performing complex medical tasks and procedures.
5. TUG
TUG is an autonomous mobile robot designed explicitly for material transport within hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Designed by Aethon, TUG automates the delivery of various items throughout a hospital, freeing up staff for patient care. It uses advanced IoT sensors and mapping technology to navigate complex hospital environments -- including hallways and elevators. The sensors also help TUG detect and avoid obstacles, ensuring safe operation around patients, visitors and staff.
TUG can transport up to 1,000 pounds and various items -- including medications, lab specimens, linens, meals and medical equipment, enabling healthcare professionals to focus more on direct patient care. In addition to deliveries, TUG assists with waste removal and collecting soiled linens, reducing staff exposure to potentially hazardous materials. TUG can also manage the collection and disposal of medical waste, ensuring these tasks are handled efficiently.
6. Xenex
Xenex -- also known as the Xenex LightStrike robot -- is a cutting-edge disinfection system designed for use in healthcare facilities to combat healthcare-associated infections. This robot represents a first-of-its-kind FDA-cleared invention for microbial reduction in healthcare.
This germ-zapping robot disinfects hospital rooms and other healthcare settings by eliminating harmful pathogens, aiming to reduce patients' risk of infections during their hospital stays. It uses UV light to destroy the DNA and RNA of microorganisms, effectively preventing them from replicating. The UV light it uses is highly effective against many pathogens -- including bacteria, viruses and spores. After a room has been manually cleaned, Xenex is deployed to perform final disinfection. It emits intense pulses of UV light that kill any remaining pathogens on surfaces. The robot is specifically designed to reach areas that may be difficult to clean using traditional methods.
According to the company website, Xenex robots have completed more than 35 million disinfection cycles in healthcare facilities worldwide.
Kinza Yasar is a technical writer for WhatIs and has a background in computer networking.
