Check Out This Futuristic Hospital With Roaming Robots Funded By Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff
Business InsiderOne of the scan suites at the Benioff Children's HospitalOn Thursday, the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay held a press event to celebrate the opening of three new facilities, including the Benioff Children's Hospital, named after Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.
The hospital, scheduled to open Feb 1, was built with Benioff's donation amounting to roughly $250 million. Salesforce touts it as one of the most technologically advanced hospitals in the country, and indeed, it had some impressive, state-of-the-art technology throughout the facility.
One of the things that really stood out were the "self-directed" robots that serve as couriers for delivering meals or medications to patients. It also had really cool MRI/CT scan suites that looked more like VIP hotel rooms.
"Our goal is simple, which is for the children of San Francisco and the children of Oakland to have the very best healthcare in the world," Benioff said at the event.
We took a quick tour of the hospital to take a sneak peek at what the buzz is all about. Here are some photos:
This is what the "robot" looks like. It doesn't look like a robot, per se, but it does function as a robot, making sounds like "Waiting for the elevator" or "Your delivery has arrived." It has built-in sensors, so it can make turns or call an elevator on its own.
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The robots' primary function is to deliver things like meals, linens, medical devices, and medications to patients and doctors, so time can be spent more efficiently. There are a total of 25 robots in the entire facility.
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This one's carrying a garbage can downstairs. These machines can hold up to 1,000 pounds and travel approximately 300 miles a day.
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This is what one of the CT scan rooms look like. Patients can control the lights and music in the room from the bed.
There's also a giant screen on the ceiling. Most patients only spend 5 to 10 minutes in these rooms, but they feel a lot of anxiety before the scan. These features are supposed to alleviate that anxiety.
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The second room was a bit larger and had more customizations available. Patients can play a video on the wall through an overhead projector and change the color of the lights.
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Like this.
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The third scan room had a baby doll on display. The walls were painted to give a more animated feeling.
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The biggest challenge for these scan rooms is to make an environment where patients (both infants and adults) want to return for an MRI or CT scan. The hospital says these drawings are supposed to create a pleasant atmosphere.
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