The Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) designed by Robosoft is the first heavy-duty automated transport system for hospitals in New Caledonia. The robot, also known as the Giraffe or Stacy, supplies carts from logistics stations to landings at the Centre hospitalier territorial de nouvelle calédonie (Médipole) and vice versa.

For over 20 years, the Robert Debré University Hospital (Paris) had already been equipped with Turtles, before definitively replacing these models with Giraffes. Unlike its counterpart in mainland France, the use of transport robots is a novelty for the Médipole. This innovation has helped to modernize the Médipole.

Overall operation

The Médipole in Koutio has a fleet of 12 autonomous vehicles, each carrying up to 400 kg of goods. Reducing labor costs, the AGVs ensure safe and reliable transport of the cabinets, following planned sequences or "cab" missions. The supervision system, developed by PGES (Grenoble), enables robots, landings and logistics stations to be monitored. This makes it easier to establish the traceability of the cabinets. During campaigns, these cabinets are positioned in metal or rubber rails, and are recognized by the site camera thanks to their numbers. The cart is then visible on the supervision HMI, and can be loaded by an AGV. To serve all the levels, the Stacy trolleys use elevators controlled by the supervision system. With several detection lasers and possible emergency stops, the AGV carries out its missions in complete safety.

The AGVs and the supervision system communicate via Wi-Fi. Thanks to the wireless network and their sensors, the AGVs move by geoguidance: they locate themselves using the Médipole's cartography and calculate their routes automatically. In this way, geoguidance eliminates the need for work such as laying rails or electrical wires.

INTERMED's operating teams supervise the Stacy AGVs, which run daily from 6am to 10pm. These AGVs therefore require regular maintenance by INTERMED's after-sales service technicians. As for the supervision system, it is maintained by DGP. The assistance of PGES is an additional guarantee of the smooth running of the supervision system.

Deploying AGVs has been a rewarding project. We have acquired new skills. We're ready to take on new challenges in heavy-duty automated transport.

M.HUYNH