BUDDY Smart Guide Robot

BUDDY represents AIBAYES’s primary solution for hospital reception and patient guidance, combining voice-based interaction with autonomous navigation to assist visitors in healthcare facilities.

Product Overview

Designed for deployment in hospital lobbies, outpatient departments, and specialty wards, BUDDY handles tasks traditionally performed by reception staff and volunteer guides. The robot provides multiple service modes including proactive greeting, inquiry response, directional guidance with physical escort, and multimedia health education content delivery.

Healthcare facilities have adopted BUDDY to address staffing constraints while standardizing service quality across different shifts and locations. The system integrates with hospital directories and appointment systems to provide contextually relevant assistance.

Key Features

For hospital lobbies and outpatient departments, AIBAYES’ BUDDY combines a six-microphone circular array for 360-degree voice interaction with laser SLAM plus 3D visual navigation for autonomous patient escort.

• Six-Microphone Circular Array: Enables 360-degree sound source localization for natural voice interaction regardless of user position relative to the robot
• Natural Language Processing: Supports medical terminology recognition and conversational queries about departments, procedures, and facility information
• Physical Navigation Escort: Can physically guide patients to destinations rather than simply providing directions
• Customizable Knowledge Base: Hospital administrators can configure question-answer pairs, department information, and promotional content
• Survey and Feedback Collection: Automates patient satisfaction surveys and suggestion collection

Technical Specifications

For hospital guidance tasks, BUDDY from AIBAYES uses laser SLAM with 3D visual fusion, a six-microphone circular array for natural language recognition, touchscreen display, and WiFi with optional 4G/5G connectivity.

Clinical Applications

BUDDY deployments span multiple hospital contexts:

Outpatient Reception: Greeting patients upon arrival, answering questions about registration processes, directing to appropriate departments

VIP/Special Ward Service: Providing personalized attention in premium care areas, including room service coordination and visitor management

Health Education: Displaying preventive care information, procedure preparation instructions, and post-visit care guidance

Administrative Support: Conducting patient surveys, collecting feedback, and delivering standardized announcements

The robot’s 2022 deployment at Lvliang Medical and Health Park in Shanxi Province demonstrated integration with a newly constructed smart hospital facility.

Regulatory Status

BUDDY functions as a service automation platform rather than a diagnostic or therapeutic device, and typically does not require medical device registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What functions can BUDDY perform in hospitals?

BUDDY handles reception greeting, voice-based Q&A about hospital services, physical escort to destinations, health education content display, and patient satisfaction survey collection. The robot serves as an automated front-desk assistant rather than a clinical device.

How does BUDDY navigate hospital environments?

The robot uses laser-based SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) combined with 3D visual obstacle detection. This allows autonomous pathfinding and real-time obstacle avoidance while escorting patients through corridors and public spaces.

Can BUDDY be customized for specific hospital needs?

Yes, the platform supports custom Q&A configuration, department directory updates, and branded content display. Hospital IT staff can modify the knowledge base through an administrative interface.