Goal
Create an updated design of Relay’s beloved delivery robot to better fulfill hospitality and healthcare user’s needs.
Action
First course of action was to understand the use case, and what would be delivered. Then we expanded to potential markets. Understanding our main selling point (reliable autonomous deliveries, navigating through dynamic environments and a beloved design by staff and clients) as well as our constraints (limited volume, single delivery, not scalable).
A use case was developed and a strategy was put in place for development:
A new robot design (larger volume but maintain original design ques)
A system, instead of a robot (Accessories to enhance delivery options, a “Relay Station” tablet interface to extend functionality
Result
A system was developed that included a Relay Station tablet and interface, a web platform and an updated robot (R2) design with a full set of accessories; which were all deployed, tested and successfully adopted at major healthcare providers, hospitals and new hotel sites.
Project Description
Relay has had their “R1” robot active, successfully deployed and loved by many hospitality sites, but there was some trouble gaining traction. I was tasked to redesign the robot to focused on two markets, focusing on healthcare, while expanding the hospitality use case.
Role
Lead Designer
Industrial Design
Design Strategy
User Experience
UI (Robot face & Tablet interface)
Improving usability on a beloved design
Understanding Where we started
The robot
The original design of the R1 (see images to right) was designed to validate the use case of simple deliveries in hospitality from point A (front desk) to point B (Hotel room).
It was key to understand all design cues, sensor placement, functionality, and navigation and elevator logic.
The good:
Deliveries were seamless and easy to use
Staff and Guests loved these guys, especially children
The design was friendly, cute and fit in the environment well
The current use case
What we learned:
Payload wasn’t large enough to be satisfy more than ‘fun deliveries’
The robot enhanced the guest experience, but did not provide enough ROI to the hotel
Our reliable fully autonomous deliveries could be a perfect fit for high value deliveries (ie. Healthcare)
The top loader concept was well accepted, and provided a good loading, and retrieval experience.
How it’s used:
The hotel staff would either (a) call the robot via the web portal or (b) walk to the robot and interact via the robot screen to load and indicate which room to send the items to.
The robot would autonomously navigate, ride the elevators and proceed to the indicated room. Staff could view the robots progress on a map on the web portal.
The robot would arrive at the room, call the rooms phone then wait for the door to open.
Once the door opened, the lid would open, displaying the delivery items
The robot would ask (via the screen) if they received all their items, how was the delivery experience, and if the guest needed anything else.
Once the guest retrieved all their items, they could answer the questions to complete the delivery.
The robot would then head directly back to it’s dock, ready for the next delivery
Gaining insight
Working closely with our product manager, we wanted to gain insight into aspects of how a delivery robot would actually used, now and in the future.
Observations helped us understand actual workflow and pain points in healthcare (hospitals), so that we could design a system that fit WITH their workflow.
Observed hotel staff use our R1 thoroughly and how guests interact with the robots.
Interviewed stakeholders (primary and secondary) at hospitals and hotels to understand how and what are delivered, their expectations, and future plans for robotic deliveries. This informs us if our product features are on track and to validate our vision of the future.
Testing navigation and accessories to refine workflow and designs.
These insights helped guide our decisions in product and design decisions.
Envisioning the future state
Who
With the delivery flow and reliability validated, we can target higher value deliveries.
We will maintain our goal of enhancing guest experience and extending hospitality staffs abilities, but our new target will be higher value deliveries.
This means deliveries that allow staff, such as nurses and pharmacists, to spend more time on their jobs, giving them confidence that the items they want moved will arrive at the labs or nursing stations with confidence.
What
Increasing payload volume by 2x, while maintaining all functionality and personality of the robot.
Adding healthcare items such as chemotherapy medicines, blood and test samples, meant design of the payload needed to be upgraded.
In Hospitality, we wanted to be able offer more functionality, expanding possibilities and usefulness.
Where
Observing and interviewing stakeholders at large healthcare organizations and hospitals provided insight into the challenges and needs of healthcare sites.
We tested prototypes at sites and through an obstacle course, to best understand what challenges we face.
Developing a concept
Design Goals
Increase functionality of the robot hardware by increasing payload volume by 2x and create accessories to enhance usability.
Improve on-robot and platform interface
Create ‘Relay Station’ tablet interface and vet and test hardware for remote station functionality
Robot Design
Creating a robot design that adds functionality and features, but still maintains its original charm. A robot growing up, if you will.
robotic Room service
Like a picnic basket, a guest can have hot food and drinks delivered to them, in the comfort of their rooms.
The R1 (left) was a beloved design, but was built as a robot to validate the use case of point A to B deliveries.
We wanted to increase payload volume, usability and include multi-point deliveries. The new R2 updated design (right) maintained the personality and ‘soul’ of the R1 while adding all the features we wanted.
Four core accessories were developed with the robot launch.
1. Platform Tray (light): To satisfy smaller itemed deliveries. This is used by both hotels and hospitals frequently.
2. Liner (mid-left): Easily removed and cleaned, this provides hospitals the ability to deliver items that require separation, or may cause messes.
3. Half Liner (mid-right): Similar to the liner while reducing payload volume when not needed, providing a better experience retrieving items.
4. Basket (right): Developed in parallel with the Platform UI to enable hotels to deliver hot drinks, food and full meals. Healthcare clients have also expressed interest in these to deliver food to staff and/or patients.
For Multiple Deliveries
Pairing letters and color coded containers, that can be prepped ahead of time, with an interface that informs it’s users, allows hospital staff to deliver multiple items, to multiple locations; all in a modular system.
A new concept robot was also built and tested for medication deliveries, see here.
Designing a system that works for the Rigors of healthcare, while keeping it simple for hospitality
Hotel staff that actively interact with our robots are usually the Front Desk staff. This position is relatively high turn-over, and we needed to keep deliveries simple. The user just approaches the robot, enters a ‘hotel passcode’, and selects delivery via room#.
Calling the robot through relay station, and multi-stop deliveries
Healthcare users require a little more complexity and security. Usually the user who wants to deliver the items, are not at the location where the robot is docked. We help provide a ‘station’ that user’s can call the robot over, as well as add multiple deliveries when necessary.
A step by step loading for multiple item, and location deliveries help ensure the right items get to the right places.
We also noted that Hotel GM’s and staff could use feedback on their service. These star ratings, also allow staff to follow up and enhance the service the hotel provides. When the robot receives a great review, it’ll do a small shimmy and beeps before letting the guest know it’s leaving.
When locations are set, the robot will come to the user’s location to prepare for loading.
Retrieving items
Hotel deliveries should be simple for guests who do not know what a delivery robot is, and how to interact with them. The robot will arrive in front of the room door, and only open it’s lid when the door is opened. Once opened, an initial message will inform the guest of the delivery, and confirm with the guest that they have collected all their items before leaving.
Healthcare customers require a level of security for retrieving items, and this can be done in 2 ways:
Scan an authorized badge
Enter a password
Once all delivery items and locations are confirmed, the robot will head on to the designated locations. The robot will head to each location, and wait for a set time before moving to the next. If a delivery is not received, it will put that location in a queue, and return.
The robot will cancel the delivery eventually, notifying users.
The interaction between user and robot can be accessed in two main ways:
Robot face
Relay Station (Tablet) / Desktop
A web based desktop interface provides power user settings, and when translated to tablet, a simple, task focused interface.
The robot face provides a simple interface, but also adds some personality