LG Electronics is accelerating innovation in the healthcare service sector by introducing the empathetic intelligence (AI) Chloe robot, optimized for medical environments, to provide a new customer experience.
Recently, LG Electronics signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital to explore robotic services aimed at enhancing the smart hospital life for both medical staff and patients. The agreement ceremony was attended by Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital’s Director Yoo Kyung-ho and LG Electronics’ Robot Business Manager Noh Gyu-chan.
The two parties will collaboratively move forward with the MOU through the development of specialized hospital robot scenarios, establishing practical examples, exploring various robot utilization opportunities in domestic and international medical institutions, and collaborating on planning hospital-specific robot products and systems integration.
Both parties aim to develop a variety of robotic services tailored to the healthcare environment, with Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, which operates the largest medical service robots in the country, designated as the ‘LG Electronics Advanced Robot Leading Hospital,’ to research various robotic practical examples within the hospital.
Notably, LG Electronics expects the dual-purpose ‘LG CLOi ServeBot’, which was unveiled at CES 2024 and is already operating in various B2B settings, to contribute to optimal healthcare service efficiency.
The dual-purpose LG CLOi ServeBot can hold up to 30kg in its four compartments, making it easy to deliver medical supplies of various sizes. Moreover, it is designed with antibacterial materials and ventilation fans for hygiene considerations. It is also equipped with secure locking mechanisms to prevent theft or loss of medications, samples, and blood during transport.
In complex hospital spaces filled with patients and visitors, it is crucial to have advanced obstacle avoidance technology and stable driving capabilities to prevent accidents.
The LG Chloe robot uses laser-based LiDAR sensors and cameras to recognize surrounding objects, which are precisely analyzed by AI, mapping out spaces to navigate safely through busy hospital environments. It can autonomously call elevators within the hospital and safely board them while recognizing bed frames and IV stands.
The robot’s front-facing 10.1-inch touch screen provides necessary information to patients and caregivers, and with its escort feature, it can efficiently guide users to locations like pharmacies and billing areas.
Since launching the Chloe robot solution at Seoul National University Hospital in 2020, LG Electronics has continued to supply it to various medical institutions, including the Ewha Medical Foundation, National Cancer Center, and Yongin Severance Hospital, actively addressing pain points in healthcare services and leveraging the knowledge accumulated in diverse environments.
Yoo Kyung-ho, Director of Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, commented, “We hope to develop various scenarios with LG Electronics that enhance satisfaction for both patients and medical staff, improving the quality of healthcare services and achieving results that set new standards for domestic and international medical service robots.”
Noh Gyu-chan, LG Electronics’ Robot Business Manager, stated, “With LG Chloe robots taking over repetitive tasks such as facility guidance and deliveries, we will enhance the efficiency of medical staff’s work and offer visitors a differentiated robotic healthcare service experience.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr