How far has Thailand's medical service robots evolved? Hear from the robot creators, who have won awards both domestically and internationally.

This isn't the first time we've brought you updates on Thai medical robots. What we want to emphasize and share is that Thailand's robot production capabilities are second to none, especially during this pandemic crisis. This is a factor that has urged all parties to work together to develop innovations that can help and ease the burden on medical personnel, who are working at full capacity during this time.

All relevant sectors have been brainstorming and developing various types of medical service robots, most of which primarily aim to prevent and reduce risks for medical personnel throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.

One of these robots, a collaboration between educational institutions and private companies, has been deployed in field hospitals to help ease the burden on doctors and nurses during the recent COVID-19 outbreak. This robot is a Thai medical service robot, or Autonomous Mobile Robot for Hospital Care Services. It was invented by TKK Corporation Co., Ltd., a specialist in consulting and distributing products related to robots and factory automation systems, Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, and the Robotics and Automation Innovation Center, Panyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM).

Earlier in 2021, we featured an article about the history of this robot, which won the 2020 Innovation Best Award at the UK Invention Expo (IBIX).

Today, the concept of developing an autonomous mobile robot for medical services has been recognized as being able to be applied to assist the Thai medical and public health sector more effectively and precisely. This is guaranteed by winning another national award, the Prime Minister Award: Innovation for Crisis, in the Private Sector category.

This award is part of the Prime Minister Award: National Startup 2021 and Innovation for Crisis, which featured Professor Emeritus Dr. Anek Laothamatas, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), presiding over the ceremony and presenting the prestigious awards.

After winning a valuable national award, the team that invented and built the autonomous mobile robot for medical services has come out to communicate their concept for creating this robot further and reveal the key success factor: cooperation from all parties that will help raise the standards of medical service robots in Thailand to be on par with international standards.

Not just building, but developing the Cell concept to send Thai medical service robots further than before.

The event began with a visit to listen to interesting ideas from a medical expert who was instrumental in providing guidance and creating the award-winning autonomous mobile robot for medical services. Associate Professor Dr. Kamal Kumar Pawa, former Dean of the Chulabhorn International Faculty of Medicine and Vice President for Special Affairs at Thammasat University, provided an update on the latest concepts that enabled this version of the Thai medical service robot to win this national award.

"The first robot that TKK received the IBIX award for was born from a collaborative effort to create a domestic robot for domestic use, using available materials, equipment, and resources. The robot was then designed as a large-scale, heavy-duty robot capable of carrying a load of 150 kg, which could help ease the burden on medical personnel transporting heavy loads."

"This time, to develop medical service robots that better meet the needs of medical personnel, the team went back to analyze the hospital's work, examining the details of actual workers' workflows and their actual workflows."

"We've found that there are tasks that doctors, nurses, or other staff must perform, which unfortunately waste time on their core, important work. These tasks can be delegated to robots. Many tasks are repetitive, which can cause fatigue for workers. However, robots offer the advantage of not being tired and providing 24-hour service."

“Therefore, we are introducing the Cell concept, a new version of the autonomous mobile robot for medical services, to further enhance the capabilities of medical personnel.”

“The Cell Concept integrates or links robotic operations with the normal operating system, applying Lean Management principles to analyze and remove unnecessary tasks and transfer them to robots.”

"For example, nurses must check inventory of medicines, equipment, and medical tools. Fatigue can lead to errors. Therefore, these tasks should be performed by robots and automated systems, and medical personnel should be assigned to tasks requiring more professional skills. This will lead to improved work outcomes."

"Regarding the robot design, we proposed a more advanced design concept by incorporating AI, which acts as a brain, into the robot. Second, the robot is lighter, capable of carrying approximately 40 kg, unlike the first model, which was larger and capable of carrying heavier loads. The added AI allows users to interact with the robot and check the robot's performance to ensure it complies with instructions. Furthermore, this new version of the medical service robot is capable of facial recognition, which is currently under further development."

On this occasion, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kammal proposed the design concept for Thai medical service robots to meet standards and meet the needs of medical personnel. The principles must include the following:

Seamless Use

In the past, robots that have been built may not have been put to use. One of the main reasons is that the robots were not connected to the systems, tools, equipment, programs, or software. These robots are essentially "one of a kind." Overcoming these limitations will help reduce steps and allow for the robots to be used to their full potential.

Touchless: Reduce contact as much as possible

Nowadays, when visiting a hospital, patients still have to risk touching medical procedures, which can lead to infection. Therefore, effective medical service robots should be designed with touchless technology, using voice commands or hand sensors instead.

Timeless reduces waiting time for service.

Currently, many people who receive services at hospitals, especially government hospitals, still have to wait in line from early morning to be able to receive examinations that day. If we refer to

According to economic research from over a decade ago, a person who visits the hospital spends 1,000 baht, not including medicine. However, this includes transportation and food costs, not including the opportunity cost of not being able to work.

This raises the question: Can we reduce patient waiting times? If we can do this, it will also reduce congestion and the risk of infection in hospitals. Furthermore, patients and their families can quickly return to their jobs. Robots can help solve this problem by using robots and AI systems to manage patient visits, including greeting, taking queue numbers, and guiding patients to examination rooms.

Flawless Minimum Error

While many tasks require human expertise, there are still many tasks where human error can occur. Using robots in conjunction with cutting-edge technology can significantly improve accuracy and precision.

Paperless: Reduce paper use and save the world.

The introduction of robots to assist in work in hospitals or healthcare facilities must help reduce the use of paper documents by switching to using documents that are stored in electronic document files instead.

The pandemic crisis has created an opportunity to develop Thailand's medical service robots to be more skilled.

Dr. Thanyawat Somjaitaveeporn, Director of the Robotics and Automation Innovation Center at the Panyapiwat Institute of Management, provided additional perspectives on the opportunities that come with the pandemic crisis, which has led to significant advancements in the development of medical robots in Thailand.

"I must say that the COVID-19 crisis, if viewed positively, is incredibly impressive. As soon as the crisis struck, various institutions and agencies were able to adapt technology to create robots and other innovations to promptly address the pandemic. This demonstrates the relentless learning and development of thinkers across all sectors in Thailand. This is a good starting point for us to learn how to adapt technology and innovation to address the crisis impacting the Thai medical and public health sectors."

"The innovations developed have the opportunity to be immediately implemented. The inventors can then follow up on their implementation to see what feedback users receive. This fosters collaborative learning, such as whether the usage method is too complex, and if so, how to make it easier to use."

In addition, Dr. Thanawat also discussed the concept of developing autonomous mobile robots for medical services, which he collaborated with Thammasat University and TKK Corporation Co., Ltd.

“The Prime Minister's Award is held annually, and this year's theme is "Innovation for Crisis." The concept behind creating this autonomous mobile robot for medical services aligns with the event's theme: innovations that can be used to combat COVID-19 and ease the burden on medical personnel.”

"The criteria for consideration also consider whether, once the COVID-19 crisis eases, the innovation and innovation concepts can still be developed further. Clearly, this autonomous mobile robot for medical services can be further developed into a medical service robot that can also be used in normal situations."

"In our presentation to the Prime Minister's Award: Innovation for Crisis judging committee this year, we presented the Cell concept, which will be applied to the technological system development of modern hospitals, or digital hospitals. Robots are a crucial piece of the puzzle that will truly elevate and develop digital hospitals in Thailand."

"Another factor contributing to the award-winning autonomous mobile robot for medical services is that it has already been deployed in field hospitals, such as the Busarakham Field Hospital, and plans to deploy it in many other hospitals. This further reinforces the concept behind this robot's potential for practical use, alleviating the burden on medical personnel."

“Furthermore, the creation of our medical service robots has been a continuous learning and development process. The first robot, built on an industrial scale, focused on strength, resulting in its large size and weight. Following user feedback and international collaboration, we have developed a plan to further enhance the robot's user-friendliness, while maintaining the same core concept of providing services to medical personnel.”

Collaboration is the key to success that is more valuable than any reward.

Another key factor contributing to the success of this excellent project, which has earned it both domestic and international awards, is Ms. Kalyanee Kongsomjit, Chairman of TKK Corporation Co., Ltd., a private sector representative. She will discuss another key success factor in Thailand's innovative medical service robot: collaboration across all sectors.

"One of the five criteria for the Prime Minister's Award: Innovation for Crisis, in which the autonomous mobile robot for medical services received the highest score, was cooperation and coordination among networks across all sectors, including the public, private, and educational institutions. This prestigious award, presented by the National Innovation Institute, aims to encourage innovators to benefit Thailand during the COVID-19 situation."

“Furthermore, the criteria for this award are quite clear and precise. Specifically, the innovation must be able to be applied to truly combat the COVID-19 crisis and help alleviate the burden on medical personnel or the public in need.”

"This innovation proves that both the concept behind the design and the efficiency of the medical service robot can be continuously improved. From a magnetically guided AGV robot, we've transformed it into an Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) capable of navigating a 2,000-square-meter area, all while reducing production costs. This is another key strength that led us to win this award."

“And the awards we've received from both international and national stages also serve as a guarantee that these robots, invented and manufactured by Thais, are as efficient as any robot from any country in the world. Overcoming these limitations also helps the nation reduce its budget.”

"In the past, most medical service robots were imported from overseas. But once Thais were able to invent their own robots, the costs were significantly reduced. Our design, construction, and manufacturing processes are up to standard, and our functionalities are now competitive on a global scale."

Finally, the CEO of TKK Corporation emphasized the key word: cooperation, which can lead to positive innovations for Thai society.

"Today, what we're expanding on isn't just about CSR for any one company or organization. We're also about developing and enhancing robots to enhance their potential. This will enable cross-industry collaboration between the manufacturing and hospital industries, enabling new innovations through collaborative networking, creating a network of interconnected cooperation."

"In today's national development, it's crucial to recognize the synergy between the strengths of each sector. For example, TKK has partnered with the Panyapiwat Institute of Technology, which has faculty and students with specialized knowledge in robotics. TKK has extensive equipment, tools, and experience in various products and technologies, while Thammasat University has extensive medical know-how. With these three components, all parties are leveraging their hearts and resources, not just money, but their expertise. This has resulted in the successful creation of a prototype medical service robot."

“จากตัวต้นแบบก็ได้รับการพัฒนาต่อเนื่องมาเรื่อยๆ จนวันนี้เราจะทำโรงพยาบาลอัจฉริยะ หรือ Digital Hospital ซึ่งเกิดขึ้นจริงแล้วที่ โรงพยาบาลมหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์ ศูนย์พัทยา ตั้งอยู่ใน เขตพัฒนาพิเศษภาคตะวันออก EEC โรงพยาบาลแห่งนี้ถือเป็นศูนย์กลางทางการแพทย์ของประเทศไทยเราเลย มีความล้ำสมัยมากๆ ทุกอย่างจะเป็นดิจิทัลหมด และเชื่อมั่นว่า โรงพยาบาลแห่งนี้จะไม่เกิดขึ้นเลยถ้าฝ่ายหนึ่งฝ่ายใดแค่รับเป็นเจ้าภาพแล้วก็ทำอยู่ฝ่ายเดียว เพราะฉะนั้นคำว่า Collaborative Networking ณ วันนี้จึงมีความหมายที่ลึกซึ้งมากขึ้นเรื่อยๆ”