ASSISTIVE BOT FOR DOCTORS

Project Summary

Role: Mechanical Design Engineer
Domain: Healthcare Robotics

Designed an autonomous assistive robot to support doctors during hospital ward rounds by transporting medical supplies, patient records, and essential equipment. The project focused on ergonomic product development, mechanical packaging, modular architecture, and manufacturable design.

The Challenge

Doctors and healthcare staff frequently carry medical records, diagnostic equipment, medicines, and consumables while moving between patient rooms. This repetitive task reduces efficiency and increases physical workload.

The objective was to develop an assistive robot capable of autonomously accompanying healthcare professionals while providing organised storage, easy accessibility, and safe operation within hospital environments.

My Role

My responsibilities included:

• User Requirement Analysis
• Product Architecture
• Mechanical Design
• CAD Development
• Ergonomic Design
• Component Packaging
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM)
• Prototype Planning

Engineering Process

Understanding User Requirements

The design process began by studying hospital workflows, identifying user pain points, and understanding the operational requirements of doctors during routine ward rounds.

The findings guided decisions related to storage capacity, accessibility, mobility, and interaction.

Product Architecture

The robot was divided into functional subsystems:

• Chassis
• Storage Modules
• Drawer Mechanism
• Sensor Housing
• Battery Compartment
• Electronics Enclosure
• User Interface

The modular architecture simplified manufacturing, maintenance, and future upgrades.

Mechanical Design

Mechanical development focused on creating a compact and ergonomic product suitable for crowded hospital environments.

Key design considerations included:

• Stable chassis design
• Accessible drawer system
• Internal component packaging
• Centre of gravity optimisation
• Easy maintenance
• Manufacturable assemblies

CAD Development

Complete assemblies were developed in SOLIDWORKS.

Development included:

• Part Modelling
• Assembly Design
• Packaging Studies
• Interference Checks
• Design Iterations

Prototype Development

The concept was evaluated through CAD validation and engineering reviews.

Prototype planning considered:

• Manufacturing feasibility
• Modular assembly
• Serviceability
• Future scalability

Results

• Developed a complete product concept for hospital assistance.
• Created a modular mechanical architecture suitable for future autonomous integration.
• Improved accessibility and storage organisation through ergonomic mechanical design.
• Demonstrated a structured product development workflow from user research to final concept.

Key Takeaways

This project strengthened my understanding of user-centred product development by translating real healthcare challenges into practical mechanical design solutions while balancing ergonomics, manufacturability, and product functionality.