Candle Medical Multi-function Robot

The Candle robot serves as Candela’s indoor medical logistics platform, designed specifically for hospital environments. Through modular payload switching, a single robot base performs multiple functions including medication delivery, specimen transport, supply distribution, and environmental disinfection.

Product Overview

Developed to address hospital logistics pain points including material tracking, delivery workload, and infection control, the Candle robot integrates with hospital IoT infrastructure (elevators, doors, access control) to navigate multi-floor facilities autonomously.

The system forms the core of Candela’s “AI Digital Robot Logistics Solution” for smart hospital management, enabling traceable, automated transport of medications, IV fluids, laboratory specimens, medical consumables, sterile packages, linens, and waste across entire hospital campuses.

Key Features

Deployed across 16 Yangzhou hospitals in 2021, the Candle robot completed over 220,000 delivery and disinfection tasks in two months through autonomous multi-floor navigation and on-the-fly module swapping.

• Modular Payload Switching: Robot base autonomously exchanges function modules (delivery containers, disinfection spray units) to perform multiple tasks
• Hospital IoT Integration: Direct communication with elevators, automatic doors, and access control systems for multi-floor navigation
• 24/7 Autonomous Operation: Continuous operation with automatic charging; low battery triggers return-to-base and resume-after-charging
• Material Coverage: Handles medications, IV fluids, specimens, consumables, sterile packages, linens, and waste
• Disinfection Capability: Ultrafine mist spray technology for environmental disinfection; adjustable spray heads based on target surface

Technical Specifications

Deployed across 16 Yangzhou hospitals in 2021, the Candle robot integrates LiDAR, ultrasonic, and visual sensing with direct IoT links to elevators and access control for unattended multi-floor logistics.

Clinical Applications

The Candle robot addresses multiple hospital logistics scenarios:

Pharmacy Distribution: Automated delivery of medications from central pharmacy to nursing stations and wards

Laboratory Specimen Transport: Secure transport of blood samples, tissue specimens, and other laboratory materials between collection points and testing facilities

Central Sterile Supply: Distribution of sterilized instrument packages from CSSD to operating rooms and procedure areas

Infection Control: Environmental disinfection of isolation wards, corridors, and common areas using spray disinfection modules

Waste Management: Transport of medical waste from generation points to disposal areas

Deployment Performance

During the 2021 Yangzhou multi-hospital deployment project, Candle robots executed over 220,000 delivery and disinfection tasks within the first two months of operation across 16 hospitals. The project demonstrated 30-day deployment capability from equipment arrival to full operational handover.

Key deployment sites include:

• Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital (COVID-19 emergency response)
• Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital (COVID-19 emergency response)
• Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital
• Southern Medical University Shenzhen Hospital
• The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University
• 16 hospitals in Yangzhou district

Frequently Asked Questions

How does payload switching work?

The Candle robot uses Candela’s proprietary modular design where the mobile base can autonomously dock with different function modules. When the robot completes delivery tasks, it can navigate to a module station and switch to a disinfection unit to continue with environmental cleaning, maximizing single-robot utilization.

Does the Candle robot require NMPA registration?

The Candle robot functions as a logistics and cleaning service robot, not a medical device. It does not perform diagnostic or therapeutic functions on patients, so medical device registration (NMPA, CE, FDA) is not applicable. The robot is classified as commercial service equipment.

Can the Candle robot navigate elevators?

Yes, the system integrates with hospital elevator control systems through IoT protocols. The robot communicates directly with elevator controllers to call elevators, board, select floors, and exit—all without human assistance. This enables truly autonomous multi-floor operation.

What is the delivery reliability rate?

Based on deployment data from Yangzhou hospitals, the system achieved task completion rates suitable for hospital operation standards. Specific percentage metrics are not publicly disclosed by the company.