The healthcare sector is increasingly recognising the importance of robotics in enhancing patient safety and care. With the global healthcare robotics market set to expand significantly, there’s a pressing need for innovative solutions to tackle challenges like fall detection and efficient patient care, especially for older people.

The SAFE-LY Project

Responding to this need, the SAFE-LY project was initiated under the Horizon 2020 framework. The project’s main aim is to leverage advanced robotics for improving safety and care in healthcare environments, focusing on older patients who are particularly vulnerable to falls and associated risks.

PAL Robotics’ Role

As a leading developer in service robotics, PAL Robotics is playing an important role in the SAFE-LY project, where we will be utilising our expertise in robotics, particularly in healthcare applications, to help improve patient safety and healthcare efficiency.

TIAGo Robot’s Involvement

Key to this project is TIAGo, our mobile manipulator robot. TIAGo is designed to integrate smoothly into healthcare settings, undertaking critical tasks such as monitoring patient safety and aiding in healthcare logistics. The robot’s design allows for customisation to meet the specific needs of healthcare facilities, thereby ensuring effective and safe operations.

A triptych of images showing the deployment of the TIAGo robot in a healthcare setting: on the left, a technician with a remote control operates TIAGo; in the center, a healthcare worker interacts with the robot; and on the right, a person works on a laptop possibly programming or monitoring the robot's functions, all within the clinical, brightly-lit corridors of a medical facility.

Testing at the BSA Sociosanitari “El Carme”

In January of this year, our team started an important phase of the SAFE-LY project, focusing on requirements gathering through co-design in in-situ prototyping. Throughout a week, the robot was operated remotely in BSA Badalona health centre, to evaluate its utility in various shifts — morning, afternoon, and night. The robot was tested for a range of tasks, including deliveries, video calls, and patrolling. This testing concluded with a workshop for staff members, where our team gathered valuable feedback to refine and validate the robot’s functions and interaction methods, ensuring they align with the staff’s needs and preferences.

Four professionals are collaborating around a table strewn with papers and a laptop, with one person standing and the others seated, seemingly engaged in a workshop or a planning session in a well-lit office space.

Impacting the Future of Healthcare

The SAFE-LY project aims to contribute towards significantly enhanced patient safety in healthcare settings. By incorporating robotics like TIAGo, the project not only aims to enhance patient safety but also to support healthcare staff, leading to more efficient and responsive care. This integration exemplifies the transformative potential of robotics in healthcare.

At PAL Robotics we are partners in collaborative projects in healthcare and Ambient Assisted Living, as well as areas such as agri-food, smart cities, factories of the future, Artificial Intelligence, and Industry 4.0 and 5.0. For more information about PAL Robotics and our involvement in other collaborative projects, visit our website and if you have any questions, make sure you get in touch with us.

Project Partner