Roaming hospital robots use RFID to track medical equipment and make deliveries

Story on ComputerWorld Mobile & Wireless.

These robots are provided by Aethon Inc. and use Cisco networking, VPN and wireless products to provide navigation and communication support. The robots can even use the wireless network to call for an elevator to speed its delivery.

By using the robots, Dillehunt [CIO at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, N.C] is able to keep his Wi-Fi network free of constant radio traffic from RFID tags on hundreds of devices, he said. "I needed a system to keep RFID from flooding my regular Wi-Fi network," he noted.