Samsung Medical Center said Thursday that it has created a consultative group on Friday to accelerate its plan of adopting a robot-driven smart hospital system.

The hospital was selected in 2021 by the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement, an organization under South Korea’s Industry Ministry, to receive up to 1.5 billion won ($1.18 million) in subsidies to carry out a project to operate robots in the hospital.

SMC currently operates one robot specializing in the distribution of materials, helping human staff with the management of medical resources, according to hospital officials.

The hospital plans to add four more robots by the end of 2022, including one more that distributes resources, two to disinfect hospital facilities and one that makes rounds with doctors.

Personal computers and mobile-based solutions will allow robots to be activated remotely via online messaging. They will be as easy to use as the virtual assistants featured on smartphones, according to the hospital.

“We will set this year as the first year in the leap to creating a ‘Robot-driven Smart Hospital,’ and will lay the foundations to lead the future of the medical industry,” said SMC President Park Seung-woo.

“We will do our best to create a new hospital experience for our patients through digital innovations based on world-class IT infrastructure.”

By Lee Seung-ku  (seungku99@heraldcorp.com)