Gary: The versatile robot revolutionizing patient care in Israeli hospitals
Since the beginning of this year, a dozen 'Garys' have been employed at two of Israel’s largest hospitals, Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva and Shamir Medical Center in Be’er Ya’akov.
Gary is a robot created and developed by the Israel-based startup Unlimited Robotics, based in Petah Tikva. The company has entered into an agreement with Israel’s Ministry of Health to supply robots to public hospitals.
Founded in 2020, Unlimited Robotics has pivoted from its initial focus on developing 'general-purpose' robots for use in homes, factories, hotels, and airports to creating models specifically designed for hospitals.
This autonomous device, equipped with two arms for complex coordination, offers capabilities beyond most single-task robots. Unlike its counterparts, Gary is versatile and can learn new skills through an open-source platform, enabling software developers to create applications without prior robotics experience.
Gary’s ability to take on repetitive tasks like fetching supplies, delivering medications, and transporting patients allows healthcare professionals to dedicate more time to direct patient care. This support helps medical teams work more efficiently and with greater focus.
The innovating robot also serves as an interpreter and note-taker. In Israel, where many patients don’t speak Hebrew, Gary provides real-time translations to facilitate communication between patients and medical professionals. Additionally, he records and transcribes patient conversations, updating their medical files so doctors don’t have to manually document every interaction.
Unlimited Robotics CEO Guy Altagar said the new technology integrates solutions and improves overall patient care.
“With our technology, all of the solutions are integrated on one device, which frees the team in the hospital to focus on what’s important - patients, leaving Gary to handle all the repetitive, simple tasks (…) we can expand Gary’s capabilities, add more value to healthcare organizations, and bring a great number of solutions for people with disabilities, nurses and doctors, working 24/7,” said Altagar.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
