Schindler is bringing the integration of lifts and robots to hospital logistics. At HOCH Health Ostschweiz in St Gallen, Switzerland – one of the country’s major hospital modernisation projects – over 30 automated guided vehicles (AGVs) autonomously transport linen, food, medical equipment and waste within the complex.

The robots are integrated with the lifts via Schindler CoLab and the Schindler PORT traffic management system, enabling them to move not only horizontally but also between the hospital’s different floors. The digital infrastructure allows for the coordination of lifts and AGVs, with the aim of making logistics flows more efficient and safer.

The integration was initially implemented in the new Haus 07A/B buildings, which are equipped with a total of 26 lifts, and will be gradually extended to the entire campus. Upon completion of the modernisation works, scheduled for 2027, the hospital’s lifts will be capable of managing up to 50 AGVs.

The project highlights how the growing automation of hospitals requires vertical transport systems that are increasingly integrated with digital technologies and robotic systems designed for logistics.