A passionate Robotics and Mechatronics Engineer with over 5 years of expertise in healthcare robotics and high-precision manufacturing shares insights on how robotic solutions address key challenges in the industry.
The future is here: robots in healthcare can now perform intricate surgeries, manage medications with precision, and streamline hospital workflows, transforming the way care is delivered. They can even handle groundbreaking procedures like a fully robotic double lung transplant, recently performed by surgeons at NYU Langone Health. This procedure minimized patient recovery time and pain through precision-driven technology. Such advancements highlight how robotics is steadily improving patient care and operational efficiency.
To explore this topic further, we turn to Pavel Sidorov, a leading Robotics and Mechatronics Engineer specializing in healthcare automation who is currently working as a Field Service Engineer at Swisslog Healthcare. Pavel has optimized robotic systems in more than 30 healthcare facilities, achieving significant performance gains. In addition to his hands-on expertise, Pavel has authored technical guides and training materials for healthcare and manufacturing industries, sharing his insights to bridge the gap between advanced technology and practical application. Pavel has also worked on developing a methodology for creating next-generation rescue robots, focusing on solving real-world challenges through robotics.
In this interview, we discuss the role of robotics in healthcare, the challenges of integrating advanced systems, and the opportunities these technologies create for the future of patient care.
Pavel, the recent success of the transplant shows the potential of robotics in healthcare is endless. With your extensive experience optimizing automation systems, how do you see such innovations reshaping patient care?
The success of such groundbreaking procedures demonstrates how robotics is redefining healthcare by combining precision and adaptability. What’s particularly exciting is how these technologies are addressing long-standing challenges, such as reducing human error and enhancing procedural accuracy. In my work, I’ve seen firsthand how even incremental improvements in automation systems, like medication management, can create ripple effects—freeing up critical time for medical staff and improving patient safety.
Beyond surgical robotics, automation is also revolutionizing hospital workflows. As your work focuses on integrating robotics into medication management, can you tell us about the systems you work with and their impact?
Absolutely. Medication errors and inefficient hospital workflows are major concerns, and automation is a game-changer. At Swisslog Healthcare, I specialize in implementing two advanced robotic systems—PillPick and BoxPicker—that streamline hospital pharmacy operations and ensure accurate medication handling.
PillPick is a fully automated packaging and dispensing system designed for unit-dose medications. It eliminates human error in medication preparation, ensuring that each patient gets the right drug in the right dose.
BoxPicker is an automated storage and retrieval system that securely organizes and dispenses medications. It optimizes hospital inventory management, reduces wait times, and ensures that critical medications are always available when needed.
Together, these systems improve patient safety, reduce labor costs, and enhance hospital efficiency—which is why their adoption is rapidly increasing across the U.S. healthcare sector.
That sounds like a significant transformation. What are your key responsibilities in ensuring these automation solutions run smoothly?
My role involves end-to-end system integration—from installation and optimization to training hospital staff and providing ongoing support.
During implementation, I customize automation workflows to fit each hospital’s unique needs. Every facility has different operational requirements, so fine-tuning the system is essential to ensure seamless integration.
Beyond that, I conduct training sessions for hospital pharmacists and staff, ensuring they can efficiently operate and maintain these advanced systems. Ongoing technical support and maintenance are also critical—I monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and collaborate with manufacturers to implement continuous improvements.
By handling these aspects, I help hospitals maximize automation efficiency, minimize downtime, and enhance overall patient care.
Speaking of operational efficiency, at Swisslog Healthcare you leveraged robotics to help reduce downtime in healthcare facilities by 27%. Could you walk us through one of the most complex projects you’ve handled and its impact?
One of the most complex projects I worked on was at a hospital in California, where an aging automation system was causing frequent disruptions. Replacing the system wasn’t immediately feasible due to regulatory constraints, so I had to find ways to optimize it while keeping it operational. Over several months, I analyzed system logs, tracked the mean time between failures (MTBF), and refined software workflows. By optimizing software, replacing certain hardware components, and making targeted adjustments, I reduced downtime and improved reliability. Additionally, updated maintenance schedules and focused user training further stabilized the system, earning praise from hospital staff and management. It was a great example of how attention to detail and a systematic approach can yield substantial results, even under complex constraints.
Before entering healthcare, you gained experience in manufacturing. How did that background help you develop technical skills—like CAD tools, programming, and system diagnostics—that are essential for implementing robotics?
My background in manufacturing played a crucial role in building the technical skills I apply in healthcare robotics today. Working with CNC machines, high-precision automated tools, taught me the importance of precision, reliability, and seamless integration in complex systems. Those same principles are crucial in healthcare robotics, where even small errors can have significant consequences.
During my time in manufacturing, I also honed my proficiency in CAD tools to design and simulate intricate systems, ensuring efficiency and accuracy. I also gained experience programming in languages like C++ and Python, which now allow me to automate processes and integrate diverse technologies in healthcare applications. Additionally, system diagnostics became a key part of my workflow, helping me quickly identify and resolve issues to maintain operational efficiency. Together, these skills have equipped me to approach challenges in healthcare robotics with a comprehensive and innovative mindset.
As a seasoned expert in various fields of robotics implementation, how do you see the role of robotics evolving in these industries over the next decade?
I see the future in continuously advancing hardware, but the next big leap will be in AI. A system with a ‘brain’ capable of analyzing vast amounts of data, performing calculations in seconds, and making informed decisions has the potential to revolutionize robotics. I believe both healthcare and manufacturing industries will adopt AI on a large scale, leading to significant progress over the next decade.
Of course, this evolution comes with both opportunities and challenges. While AI creates tremendous opportunities for innovation and new job roles, it also requires industries to adapt, and some professions may be left behind. The job market is already evolving with AI implementation, and its impact is clear. Personally, I’ve started preparing for this shift by enrolling in an AI course at a U.S. university, ensuring I can effectively work with these emerging technologies.
