Staff shortages in inpatient healthcare lead to a high workload for medical professionals. Time-consuming tasks can be made more efficient through robotic assistance, but existing robotic systems are often too inflexible for the complex everyday hospital environment. KIRA-med is therefore researching how an intelligent assistant robot with voice-controlled interaction can relieve healthcare professionals. The goal is to develop an interactive assistant robot that integrates intuitively into daily clinical routines. The robot “KIRA” is intended to be controlled via natural language and capable of adapting to various situations in inpatient care. As part of the project, clinical workflows will first be analyzed in detail to identify and implement relevant applications for robotic support. In parallel, an AI-based voice interaction system will be developed to intuitively adjust the robot’s behavior. Finally, the technology will be evaluated in a clinical study to measure the actual relief effects for healthcare professionals. In the long term, the robot can be used in various medical fields to compensate for the increasing demand for personnel and improve working conditions in healthcare.
