Yesterday Children’s Hospital Boston announced that children staying at the hospital are thoroughly enjoying having their dinners delivered in a fun new way: By robots, fashioned as trains.

Children’s Hospital Boston has welcomed robots for quite some time. Back in 2005 a lady robot named “Gizmo” made rounds delivering doctor charts to twenty distinct stations (photo below). Now, thanks to a fulfilled Make-A-Wish Foundation wish from a boy in San Francisco, a new robot is strutting the hallways.

The Idea

The idea of fashioning robots to look like toy trains came from a child undergoing leukemia treatment in San Francisco. His wish: to have a robot deliver his medications, and he wanted the façade to be a train. The train mold was developed with his help, and in the process he educated manufacturer of the robot, Pittsburgh-based Aethon, on new ways to use the technology within hospitals.

Called TUG robots (which now come with an Automated Robotic Delivery System for hospitals), they can both schedule meal deliveries as well as deliver on-demand when a patient requests a meal. Singularity Hub, a leading authority in the robotics space, named these TUG robots one of 2010’s best robots just a few weeks ago.

TUG robots can be found in 200 hospitals across the Nation, but Children’s Hospital Boston is the first hospital in New Engalnd to implement the “train” version of these robots.

“In addition to looking cute and delighting our patients, the TUG robots serve an important role in delivering food to our nursing floors,” said Shawn Goldrick director of patient support services for Children’s Hospital Boston. “Our food service professionals are now able to remain on the floors supporting patients’ food service needs, allowing nurses to spend more time providing hands-on patient care. We love the fact that we are able to accomplish something so functional while also bringing smiles to patients’ faces.”

The Tech — And Its ROI for Hospitals

What tech goes into this type of robot, allowing it to navigate hospital hallways, elevators, automatic doors and humans, carry up to 500 pounds, and even ring a doorbell? Sensors. Lots of sensors: ultrasonic sonar, infrared and laser range sensors. The device also conveniently hooks up to VoIP phones and pagers. (Learn more about the technology here on the Aethon website.)

The TUG device itself weighs in at 55 pounds, just over 7 inches high and 20 inches wide. The Children’s Hospital affixed a train body on top of this (filled with trains), whereby the TUG device does the navigating and the train base follows suit.

These innovative robots (and at Children’s Hospital Boston, whimsical robots) not only delight patients, they also make nurses and other hospital staff happier – not to mention save the hospital money. According to Aethon, a 300-bed facility spends $4M annually on people pushing carts for a cumulative 600 hours every day. One TUG working just two shifts 7 days a week saves the labor of 2.8 full time employees, and costs less than 1, single full time employee.

Check out the video embedded within the company’s website to see the device in action.

In Children’s Hospital Boston and spot one of these fun robots? Please, send us a photo!