Estonia continues to lead the adoption of next-gen transportation and logistics solutions, now merging them with healthcare. This week, a driverless teleoperated robot carrier, CLEVON 1, has been deployed to transport patients’ test materials between the facilities of Viljandi Hospital.
Reimagining hospital logistics
The robot courier was developed and manufactured by Clevon AS in collaboration with the hospital. The move was initiated by the hospital’s nursing manager, Saima Hinno, who sought a smoother, faster, safer and time-saving solution for transporting sample materials from the hospital’s various building complexes to its laboratory.
The robot courier, which is weatherproof and equipped with a PIN-code lock-protected cargo box, will make four trips daily based on a set schedule. It can travel up to 100 km on a single charge. The hospital staff will place empty and filled containers in the cargo box, and after the samples are collected, the carrier returns to the hospital’s main building for the laboratory employee to take them for analysis.
The use of the teleoperated robot courier is an excellent example of testing world-class technology in Clevon’s small hometown of Viljandi, said Arno Kütt, a member of Clevon’s management board. A small town in Southern Estonia, Viljandi boasts a population of just over 20,000 people and is known for its rich history and cultural heritage.
Viljandi is also home to numerous museums, art galleries, and music festivals, including the Viljandi Folk Music Festival, which attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world each year. Now, the deployment of the robot courier is just the beginning of a journey that Clevon has in store for Viljandi and for Estonia, assured Kütt.
Piloting the future
According to the hospital’s administrative manager, Andrus Plees, the initial plan is to transport only test materials. “If the people of Jämejala Park adopt a robot carrier, the solution satisfies all parties, and cooperation goes smoothly; then we might add extra stops and extend the list we want the robot to transport. We already have thoughts on this,” said Plees.
In September 2022, Clevon began operating in Viljandi delivering appliances from the Euronics electronics store using its self-driving delivery robot. The service can be used for up to medium-sized home electronics, such as vacuum cleaners and microwave ovens, with each delivery estimated to take about half an hour.
By implementing advanced transportation solutions, Estonia is demonstrating its status as a leader in the adoption of smart transport and logistics technologies. The recent deployment of the robot courier in Viljandi is a testament to the country’s ambition to create a greener and more efficient future by combinings efforts between public and private entities.
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