ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The hospital robots might be brothers or sisters.
Or maybe they're dating?
Whatever the relationship case between boy "Beaker" and girl "Hygeia" (or "Gia" for short), these blooping bleeping 'bots are the new hi-tech stars in the corridors of St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Pete.
WATCH: "Star Wars" comes to St. Pete hospital as pair of helper robots now cruise the hallways
BayCare Health System is testing a hi-tech delivery system for critical care units and the pharmacy.
Beaker and Gia, from Relay Robotics, can open doors, use elevators, and navigate corridors and floors on their own — all while delivering crucial lab samples, pharmacy orders, and more.
If it works well — freeing up nurses to spend more time caring for patients instead of running around — the robot plan will be implemented at other hospitals.
"It's a perfect match," says Craig Anderson, BayCare's director of innovation.
Craig was staying at a Miami hotel when a room-service robot managed to navigate hallways, elevators and more to bring him a candy bar and a water.
That's when inspiration struck.
"If it can work in a hectic environment like a hotel, it can certainly work in a hospital," says Craig.
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