Hospitals are busy places. Clinicians are constantly on the move, juggling patient care, paperwork, and—let’s be honest—a whole lot of walking. So what if we told you there’s now a robot at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital that can reduce their steps and save nurses time?
Hospitals are huge—think sprawling campuses with long hallways, multiple floors, and departments spread out in every direction. They’re complex environments that are notoriously tough to navigate, even for staff who know them well. That means simple tasks—like delivering a piece of equipment or picking up a monitor—can take up a surprising amount of time. But what if we could automate those deliveries, freeing up staff and clinical teams to focus on what matters most—the patient?
That’s what Catalyst by Wellstar has made possible, by investing in Ottonomy, a company that’s leading the way in autonomous delivery solutions. Their primary Ottobot, is now rolling into Wellstar Kennestone Hospital to help tackle this exact problem.
How Do We Solve the Problem?
Nurses and techs can easily walk thousands of steps a day just to pick up supplies, equipment, or lab samples. It adds up. Not only is it tiring, it also takes time away from where they’re needed most—at the bedside.
That’s where Ottobot comes in. It handles the back-and-forth tasks that eat up precious time:
How Ottonomy Works
Ottobot isn’t your average robot. It’s equipped with AI, advanced sensor technology, cameras, and smart navigation that help it move safely through busy hospital corridors. It can even work with elevators and badge-secured doors, so it gets where it needs to go without slowing anyone down.
Right now, Ottobot is learning how to best support the needs of our Wellstar teams. The launch is planned to go live in mid-2025 marking a milestone in Catalyst’s effort to modernize healthcare delivery.
Efficient inter-hospital logistics at scale
This pilot is just the beginning of how Catalyst by Wellstar is reimagining hospital operations through automation and innovation. With Ottobot, Catalyst is testing how intelligent delivery systems can improve efficiency, reduce burnout, and ultimately enhance the patient experience. And if it works at Kennestone, the potential to expand across the entire health system—and beyond—is huge. The goal? Less time spent on tasks, more time for patients.
“At Catalyst, our mission is to identify innovative solutions that enhance healthcare efficiency while maintaining exceptional patient care,” said Jaimie Clark, Head of Innovation and Strategy at Catalyst by Wellstar. “By investing in Ottonomy, we are not only embracing cutting-edge automation but also directly addressing workflow challenges in hospital environments. This is about supporting our team members, the ones who care for patients—making their days a little easier so they can focus on what they do best.”
Over the next few months, Catalyst will continue to test and refine Ottobot’s functionality to make sure it’s ready for deeper integration into the hospital ecosystem and operations. And if things go well, you might be seeing more bots making rounds at hospitals in the not-so-distant future.
“The collaboration with Wellstar is just the beginning,” said Ottonomy’s CEO, Ritukar Vijay. “The deployment of Ottobot in hospitals, facilitated by Catalyst, represents our commitment to leveraging autonomous robotics to enhance healthcare delivery. We’re excited to see the positive impact on staff and patients; to redefine hospital logistics, empowering staff to focus on what matters most—patient care.”
