Development of smart patient care robot with enhanced autonomous navigation through path optimization in hospital wards

Abstract This study presents the development of a smart patient-care robot designed to assist healthcare workers by automating routine monitoring tasks and enhancing autonomous mobility in hospital wards. Unlike conventional systems that rely on multiple sensors, the proposed platform achieves reliable navigation using a single two-dimensional light detection and ranging sensor combined with an enhanced D* lite algorithm. A key contribution of this work is the introduction of virtual obstacle spaces in occupancy grid maps, which simplify path planning and significantly increase the success rate of passing through narrow doorways, one of the most collision-prone scenarios in ward environments. Experimental results show a navigation success improvement of over 30%, confirming enhanced safety and efficiency in mobility. This research establishes a practical foundation for deploying patient-care robots in real hospital settings, showcasing both technical advances in autonomous navigation and the potential to reduce healthcare staff workload while ensuring patient safety.