Publication: Application of automated guided vehicle (AGV) in patient transfer system
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Date
2023-07
Authors
Chong, Win Ron
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Abstract
In this project, a new patient transport system using Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) was developed, which believe that it can minimize the physical work of the workers and can reduce patients’ discomfort. In the first part of this paper, the AGV has been tested to examine its suitableness to be applied on patient transfer activities, for instance, mapping about a strange environment and self-navigation features. After testing the AGV alone, a powered stretcher which can pick up patients from lateral direction was attached to the AGV. Initially, the patient transfer system is working with self-navigation features. However, due to the design constraints on powered stretcher, the objective of this project was altered, to examine whether transferring patients on powered stretcher using remote-controlled AGV is a better and safer approach, as compared to current manual approach. In the second part of the test, two similar activities were conducted for both approaches, which are moving the powered stretcher in a straight path and turning it. For manual approach, five different operators were required to push the powered stretcher while for remote-controlled approach, AGV was using to control the movement of the powered stretcher. During the test, a constant subject (acting as the patient) was required to lay on the bed and an accelerometer will be attached on his head to measure his head’s acceleration. Head acceleration was measured because it plays a significant role in patients’ safety concerns, especially to the patients who experienced injuries or surgeries on their head. According to the results obtained from manual approach, it was discovered that turning activity is causing more vibration and acceleration to patient’s head as compared to moving straight activity. However, for remote-controlled approach, there is no remarkable results difference between both activities. By comparing both approaches, remote-controlled AGV approach was causing significantly lesser vibration and acceleration as compared to manual approach. In overall, it can be concluded that using a remote-controlled AGV in bed pushing is a better approach, in terms of safety and comfortability, which is coincidence with the claim in the objectives where transferring patient on powered stretcher using remote-controlled AGV is more safe and more reliable, as compared to the traditional manual approach.