DisBot: An Automated Medicine Dispensing Robot for Efficient Delivery

Demand for efficient, accurate, and on-time delivery of medications in healthcare facilities has increased greatly in recent years to ease the burden on healthcare professionals. Moreover, prior experience related to pandemics like COVID and ever increasing risk of infections have always been a motivation to replace the manual human-based medicine delivery system with safe, accurate and machine-based automated solutions. For addressing this demand, the Automated Medicine Dispenser Robot, in short, DisBot has been designed. This robot automates the process of patient detection and medicine delivery. For guaranteed accuracy and reliability, this robot combines the realms of robotics, artificial intelligence and the IoT. Using advanced sensors, this robot can identify and sort the medicines. Additionally, using actuators it can administer the correct dose of medicine to the desired patients. It can follow patient-specific prescriptions. It significantly reduces the probability of human error, enhancing patient safety. During the design of the robot interface, user-friendliness was prioritized. Doctors, nurses and caregivers input prescription details in the database of a local host, that is, their computer. As the robot is integrated with IoT technology, it can check the updated prescription in real time and ensure drug delivery on time. As a mobile robot it can easily navigate through hospitals or nursing homes, which is vital for ensuring drug delivery. Implementation of this solution will transform the healthcare system by reducing the load on medical professionals as well as improving efficiency and minimizing errors in the medicine delivery and inventory management.