No two days are alike for Rebel the Robot

Rebel the Robot meets us at the logistics center at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna just before 7 am on a regular Tuesday in November. She has just recharged her batteries after the night's on-call shift and is ready for a new working day.

Tell us about your job
I am one of the 30 robots that are part of Coor's logistics team at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna. We are on duty 24/7, every day of the week and deliver up to 1,400 transports daily to the wards of the hospital. It can be anything from disposable items to medicines and laundry. When the staff at the hospital places a cart on a special type of rail, the robot who is closest and free receives a message and goes there. When we lift the cart, we read where it’s supposed to be going and make sure it ends up right. After that, we´re ready for a new task.

What does a normal working day look like?
No two days are alike. The intensity varies depending on the number of transports and how many robots that are on duty at the moment. We deliver up to 100 transports per hour. In general, we are busiest Monday-Friday. During the night we have a rolling on-call schedule, but all of us are ready to step in when needed, as long as we have enough energy.

It sounds intense, how do you recover?
I take breaks when needed. To cope with my heavy and important tasks, I must always have at least 40 % battery left. As I approach the limit, I look for a charging station. Ideally, I have time to charge for two hours so that the battery is full and I can work nonstop for 10 hours. If there's a lot to do, I'll step in even if I haven't had time to finish charging.

What are the most important characteristics for your job?
Especially strength as the carts we carry weigh up to 500 kg. The ability to cooperate, stress resistance and flexibility are also important to cope with the work and to be able to quickly adjust when necessary.

What are your experiences of working at Coor?
We have a very good teamwork. We care about each other and there is a great respect between different professional groups.

Can you tell us about your colleagues?
All robots look the same but have different names, given to us by the children at the hospital. And we look out for each other. I know where the other robots are and what they do. We work closely with the service logistics, kitchen and textiles, which give us our assignments. When we need technical assistance, we get the support we need from Coor's AGV operators.

What's the most fun part of your job?
When we get to run the Santa train. We all dress up as sleds and help Santa hand out Christmas gifts and gingerbread cookies to the children at the hospital. It's also a lot of fun when we have the Lucia procession and dress up as Saint Lucia, gingerbread man and Santa Claus. Or when children come to visit and play with us, I don't know if it's us or the kids who think it's the most fun.

What is the best thing about working at Coor?
The colleagues and the familiar atmosphere. Here, both people and machines are equally welcome and appreciated. I always have the latest software installed and there is never any discussion when I need a new battery.

What is your biggest challenge?
There is sometimes talk of younger generations of robots with new functionality, but I feel very confident due to my experience. I know this workplace inside out and find my way at the Karolinska University Hospital on my two sensors.