Like most parts of the world, the US is trying to avoid unnecessary contact between its residents to minimize the spread of the COVID-19. Now, a non-profit hospital in Florida, called Mayo Clinic, is exploring artificial intelligence to ensure the safety of its employees.
Mayo Clinic partnered with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) and autonomous startups Beep and Navya to provide driverless shuttles to transport COVID-19 tests within the campus.
On March 30, four self-driving shuttles began servicing their route, which includes driving between a drive-through testing site and a processing lab for analysis. The entire course avoids driving on public streets; the vehicle remains within the campus grounds of the Mayo Clinic in Florida.
Once tests are complete at the drive-through site, workers load samples into a secure, red container and place them firmly aboard the autonomous shuttle. Then, the shuttle begins to make its way towards the lab along a route that’s free of traffic, pedestrians, and staff. Throughout the entire course, a central command center monitors the shuttle while another vehicle, with a human driver, follows behind at a safe distance to ensure things run smoothly.
This method is certainly not the quickest and most efficient way to transport the samples. However, it’s not about efficiency; it’s about safety. It’s an excellent example of how we can avoid human contact and keep humans safe.
Kent Thielen, CEO of Florida’s Mayo Clinic, said:
Using artificial intelligence enables us to protect staff from exposure to this contagious virus by using cutting-edge autonomous vehicle technology and frees up staff time that can be dedicated to direct treatment and care for patients. We are grateful to JTA, Beep, and NAVYA for their partnership in these challenging times.
Watch the autonomous shuttle complete a full round-trip journey in the video below.
