Four autonomous mobile robots that have been quietly restocking wards and ferrying textiles through Zürich City Hospital’s Triemli site since early 2023 have passed their pilot evaluation with flying colours.
Now the City Council is seeking approval to make them a permanent fixture at an annual cost of CHF 303,000.
The City Council submitted its request to the Municipal Council this week, asking for recurring annual expenditure of CHF 303,000 to fund the regular operation of the robotic transport service from 1 January 2027.
According to a 24 June 2026 Zürich City PR, “The technology functions reliably and is suitable for permanent use. All objectives of the pilot project were achieved.”
Four Autonomous Mobile Robots Operate Primarily At Night
“Robot transport has proven its worth in everyday hospital life. It relieves the burden on staff, simplifies processes and creates more time for core tasks in the hospital. With such digital solutions, Zürich City Hospital is consistently implementing its Strategy 2030,” said City Councillor Andreas Hauri, head of the Department of Health and Environment.
The four autonomous mobile robots operate primarily at night, navigating the hospital’s corridors and lifts independently to deliver consumables and textiles to various parts of the building — and to handle the return transport of waste materials. By morning, supplies and fresh textiles are in place and ready for the day’s clinical work, with no manual involvement.
The task they take over is not trivial. The transport carts the robots handle weigh approximately 200 kilograms – loads that previously had to be moved manually by hospital staff, with associated physical strain and injury risk.
Beyond the ergonomic benefit, the overnight scheduling has a secondary effect: it clears lifts and corridors of large cart traffic during daytime hours, reducing congestion and cutting waiting times for both staff and patients.
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Rather Than Purchasing The Robots Outright, Zürich City Hospital Will Continue To Lease All Four Units
According to the City Council’s submission, leasing allows the hospital to incorporate technological developments as they emerge, while ensuring that maintenance and operations remain the contractual responsibility of the supplier.
In a field where robotic and autonomous systems are evolving rapidly, the flexibility to upgrade without capital write-offs is a meaningful operational advantage.
The CHF 303,000 annual figure covers leasing costs, maintenance and operational expenses for all four robots.
Zürich City Hospital’s Strategy 2030 explicitly positions digital solutions as a central pillar of its operational development.
The Municipal Council must now approve the recurring expenditure request before regular operations can begin as planned in January 2027.
