Inventing 'MediBot' - The Robotic Nurse

20 May 2021
Written by Rhys, Year 9 (Removes)

Pranay, Eloise, Benjamin, Larissa, Lucy and I (Rhys), took part in the Bronze Industrial Cadets, alongside the Year 8 team. It is run by an organisation which focuses on developing new skills for young people based on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). This year the challenge was 'Tomorrow’s Tech Today'. We had to design and execute an idea linked to the statement.

After many wonderful thoughts, the team settled for a robotic nurse. We agreed that this was a great idea which would help people in need of carers. Given current social distancing restrictions, the robot would be able to administer medication and treatments safely.

To graduate from the Bronze Cadets, the team needed to create a written report, a poster and a video presentation.

The team decided to split the research into three areas specific to the robot. These were:

  • Communication
  • Medication
  • Monitoring.

This made us more organised and shared the workload in an easy, manageable way. We came through a few problems whilst designing and studying these sectors. These raised questions like: "How will the robot keep the medication and vaccines?", and, also "What is the most efficient way to charge the robot?". Tackling these queries required thought on the structure and engineering side of the robotic nurse.

Finally, amazing solutions were made by our team. These included having an in-built cooling system inside the robot for the vaccines, and a wireless magnetic charging platform which the robot can drive onto. Problem solving like this is what took the concept to the next level.

After about seven weeks, we had completed the tasks to prove the idea. However, we still had not come up with a name! So, the team had a meeting to discuss what we should call the robot. We agreed on MediBot.

The project has really brought out my creative thinking. Finding and solving potential complications made me think a lot more outside of the box. I believe that my leadership roles have improved substantially, too. Being project manager of the model/poster making, help me to develop my skill in managing workloads and setting deadlines.

The awards ceremony took place on 23rd April, 2021. The team won second place for the Best Overall Project Award and received a commendation for Best STEM solution. The team and I are extremely happy with the result and believe that the whole experience was brilliant.

Written by Rhys, Removes Lambourne