Swisslog Healthcare Forms Strategic Alliance with Diligent Robotics to Transform Hospital Logistics
Swisslog Healthcare, a leading provider of transport and pharmacy automation solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with Diligent Robotics to bring autonomous last-mile delivery robots to hospitals throughout the United States. This collaboration represents a significant step forward in hospital automation, combining Swisslog Healthcare’s comprehensive automation portfolio with Diligent Robotics’ innovative autonomous mobile manipulation robots (AMMRs). Together, the companies aim to streamline hospital workflows, improve operational efficiency, and allow healthcare staff to devote more time to patient care.
As hospitals and health systems increasingly face operational pressures, including staffing shortages and growing patient volumes, automation has emerged as a critical tool for optimizing workflow. By integrating Diligent Robotics’ autonomous robots into its portfolio, Swisslog Healthcare expands its offerings to include autonomous solutions capable of performing routine delivery tasks, particularly within pharmacy operations. This partnership complements Swisslog’s existing automation infrastructure, including its advanced pneumatic tube systems and other hospital transport solutions, to create a seamless, end-to-end logistics framework for modern healthcare facilities.
“Our strategic alliance with Diligent Robotics adds a complementary pillar to our automation offerings and reinforces our vision to lead change for better care,” said Cory Kwarta, President and CEO of Swisslog Healthcare. “Last-mile delivery robots reinforce our commitment to innovative solutions and address our customers’ evolving needs. With Diligent Robotics, we can bring proven technology into hospitals that improves efficiency, reduces staff burden, and ultimately enhances patient care.”
The collaboration is designed to tackle one of healthcare logistics’ most persistent challenges: efficient, reliable, and safe last-mile delivery. While hospitals have long relied on pneumatic tube systems to transport smaller items quickly, these systems are limited in the size and type of materials they can handle. Larger items, sensitive samples, and certain medications often require manual transport, which can divert staff from more critical patient-facing duties. By deploying autonomous robots capable of handling these deliveries, Swisslog Healthcare and Diligent Robotics are addressing a key operational gap and providing hospitals with a more efficient, scalable solution for internal logistics.
Diligent Robotics’ flagship robot, Moxi, has already demonstrated significant success in hospital environments. Currently deployed in more than 25 U.S. hospitals, Moxi has completed over one million deliveries, including 300,000 pharmacy deliveries, proving its ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, high-pressure medical settings. This track record aligns with Swisslog Healthcare’s commitment to implementing reliable, innovative automation that enhances hospital efficiency and safety.
Ray Castro, Director of Strategic Programs for Transport Automation at Swisslog Healthcare, will oversee the coordination of activities with Diligent Robotics. “Our customers have been asking for dependable, efficient last-mile delivery robots that integrate seamlessly into existing workflows,” said Castro. “Through this partnership, we can offer a proven solution that meets these expectations while ensuring smarter, safer deliveries that both staff and patients can trust. This collaboration represents a complementary offering for both Swisslog Healthcare and TransLogic, a Swisslog Healthcare company, further reinforcing our leadership in hospital transport automation.”
The integration of Moxi robots into hospital operations not only improves efficiency but also supports hospital staff in focusing on direct patient care. By automating routine, time-consuming delivery tasks, hospital personnel can dedicate more attention to clinical responsibilities, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and satisfaction. Swisslog Healthcare and Diligent Robotics envision a future where autonomous robots become an integral part of hospital logistics, enabling healthcare facilities to operate more efficiently without compromising care quality.
The partnership also aligns with Swisslog Healthcare’s broader growth strategy, particularly its focus on the rapidly expanding service robotics segment, which is projected to grow between 15-18% annually over the next three to five years. By entering this market, Swisslog Healthcare strengthens its position as a leader in healthcare transport automation, combining its expertise in traditional systems, such as pneumatic tubes, with next-generation robotics solutions. The combination of Swisslog’s established infrastructure and Diligent Robotics’ innovative AMMR technology offers hospitals a comprehensive, turnkey solution for internal logistics management.
A key advantage of this partnership is the ability to offer hospitals an end-to-end logistics solution. Swisslog Healthcare’s existing pneumatic tube systems are highly effective for transporting small items quickly across hospitals, but larger or sensitive items have historically required manual handling. The deployment of Moxi robots addresses this “last mile” gap, ensuring that all deliveries, regardless of size or sensitivity, are handled efficiently and securely. This integration allows hospitals to optimize both human and automated resources, ultimately creating safer, more streamlined operations.
From the perspective of Diligent Robotics, the partnership with Swisslog Healthcare represents an opportunity to scale their technology across a larger network of health systems. “Together with Swisslog Healthcare, we’re setting a new standard for healthcare logistics,” said Dr. Andrea Thomaz, CEO and Co-Founder of Diligent Robotics. “Swisslog Healthcare’s unmatched reach, combined with its deep expertise and decades of experience in pharmacy automation, makes them the ideal partner to bring our autonomous delivery robots to health systems at scale. This collaboration ensures that hospitals have access to proven, reliable technology that enhances operational efficiency and patient care.”
The Moxi robot is designed to operate autonomously in complex hospital environments. It can navigate hallways, elevators, and patient care areas, delivering items directly to their destination without requiring human intervention. Its ability to handle repetitive, non-value-added tasks makes it a valuable asset for hospital staff, who can focus on critical clinical activities. By integrating Moxi into their transport and pharmacy operations, hospitals can reduce delivery delays, improve inventory management, and enhance overall workflow efficiency.
Swisslog Healthcare’s partnership with Diligent Robotics is also strategically significant in terms of market positioning. As hospitals increasingly adopt automation technologies to manage rising operational demands, the ability to offer a comprehensive suite of solutions becomes a key differentiator. Swisslog Healthcare’s combination of pneumatic tube systems, automated storage and retrieval solutions, and now autonomous delivery robots positions the company as a one-stop provider for hospital logistics. This integrated approach allows healthcare facilities to adopt automation incrementally while maintaining interoperability across different systems.
In addition to operational benefits, the alliance addresses growing concerns about staff safety and well-being. Healthcare workers frequently spend significant time transporting items between departments, which can contribute to fatigue and limit patient interaction. By automating routine deliveries, Moxi robots reduce the physical demands on staff, allowing them to focus on more meaningful clinical work. This contributes not only to staff satisfaction but also to better patient experiences, as healthcare professionals can devote more attention to care delivery rather than logistics management.
