Robots Cut Health Care Costs

Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor -- Design News, October 8, 2007

Timely delivery of medical specimen samples can be difficult in large medical facilities, with more complexity arising when dangerous materials are transferred. An autonomous carrier from CCS Robotics carts specimens to their destination, freeing personnel for more sophisticated challenges.

The SpeciMinder robot from a division of Cypress Semiconductor uses a SICK AG LMS200 Laser Measurement Sensor for collision avoidance and navigation. That sensor uses 2D laser radar technology to determine the distance to an obstacle and then communicates that back to the robot. Once the robot's destinations are entered using push buttons, it plots the most efficient delivery route.

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