iBen Medical Guidance Robot

Developed by iBen Robot, the Medical Guidance Robot combines natural language processing, medical knowledge graphs, and autonomous navigation to simplify patient flow in hospital environments. Deployed across numerous Chinese hospitals including Beijing Zhongxiyi Combined Hospital and Nantong TCM Hospital, the system reduces front desk congestion while providing 24/7 patient support services.

Product Overview

The iBen Medical Guidance Robot addresses common pain points in hospital patient services: long queues at information desks, difficulty navigating unfamiliar facilities, and limited availability of guidance staff during peak hours. Built on iBen Robot’s Zhi series commercial service robot platform, the medical variant integrates specialized healthcare knowledge bases and clinical workflows.

The robot functions as an intelligent hospital assistant capable of greeting visitors, answering health-related queries, recommending appropriate departments based on symptom descriptions, providing doctor information, and physically guiding patients to destinations within the facility.

Key Features

Medical Knowledge Graph: The cloud-based AI engine incorporates approximately 20 million medical papers, nearly 10,000 medical e-books, clinical data from over 40 tertiary hospitals representing millions of desensitized patient encounters, 70 million medical Q&A entries, and 16 million medical WeChat articles. This knowledge base supports accurate responses to diverse patient inquiries.

Symptom Analysis: When patients describe symptoms, the system applies AI algorithms to analyze potential conditions, considering factors such as age, gender, and medical history. The robot provides preliminary assessments including possible causes, recommended departments, and suggested examinations.

Doctor Information Query: Patients can search for physicians by name, gender, or specialty. The system displays qualifications, expertise areas, detailed introductions, and real-time availability schedules, enabling informed physician selection.

Autonomous Navigation: Using proprietary SLAM technology, the robot plans optimal routes to guide patients from reception areas to registration counters, examination rooms, or specific departments. LIDAR and 3D depth cameras enable real-time obstacle detection and avoidance during transit.

Visitor Identification: Facial recognition capabilities enable returning patients to quickly retrieve examination results and appointment information without manual lookup.

Technical Specifications

iBen’s Medical Guidance Robot uses a 6-mic circular array and self-developed SLAM navigation at up to 0.6 m/s, with 5G cloud connectivity and a 27-inch HD touchscreen for patient-facing interaction.

Clinical Applications

The Medical Guidance Robot supports the following hospital service scenarios:

Reception and Greeting: Automatic visitor detection triggers welcome messages and proactive service offers

Registration Guidance: Step-by-step instructions for first-time visitors unfamiliar with hospital procedures, with optional printed maps

Department Navigation: Physical escort service from lobby to target destinations with contextual explanations

Pre-consultation Data Collection: Symptom inquiries prior to physician appointments, with findings transmitted to the doctor’s EMR system

Health Education: Delivery of preventive care information and facility announcements

Deployment Examples

At Beijing Zhongxiyi Combined Hospital, iBen Medical Guidance Robots stationed in the main lobby provide full patient services. The deployment reduced information desk wait times while enabling staff to focus on complex inquiries. The system’s integration with the hospital’s registration platform allows patients to book appointments directly through the robot interface.

Regulatory Status

As a commercial service robot rather than a diagnostic medical device, the iBen Medical Guidance Robot does not require NMPA Class III medical device registration. The robot provides information services and physical guidance but does not perform clinical diagnoses or therapeutic interventions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the robot diagnose medical conditions?

No. The Medical Guidance Robot provides preliminary symptom analysis and department recommendations to help with patient routing. All clinical diagnoses must be performed by licensed physicians. The robot serves as an information and navigation assistant, not a diagnostic tool.

What hospitals use iBen Medical Guidance Robots?

Deployments include Beijing Zhongxiyi Combined Hospital, Nantong TCM Hospital, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, and numerous other healthcare facilities across China. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of hospitals deployed iBen robots for guidance and disinfection services.

Does the robot work with existing hospital IT systems?

Yes. The platform supports integration with hospital information systems (HIS), registration systems, and electronic medical records (EMR) for appointment scheduling and data sharing.