Moxi the Robot: Easing Nurse Burnout, Elevating Care

When Dr. Andrea Thomaz and Dr. Vivian Chu co-founded Diligent Robotics in 2017, they envisioned a new era for healthcare — one where robots could work harmoniously with human staff to tackle the challenges of a labor-intensive healthcare environment. Armed with years of research in robotics and human-robot interaction, Thomaz and Chu have propelled Diligent Robotics to become a frontrunner in social robotics. Their flagship robot, Moxi, is already making waves in hospitals across the United States, showcasing a groundbreaking approach to robotics-as-a-service (RaaS).

Founders' Background and Vision

Dr. Andrea Thomaz, a pioneer in human-robot interaction since 2008, has focused her career on creating robots that assist and support humans in work environments. Together with Dr. Vivian Chu, her Ph.D. student and an experienced engineer, they developed Diligent Robotics with the specific goal of creating robots that assist, rather than replace, healthcare staff. Their focus on “cobots” — collaborative robots — drove their ambition to design machines that handle labor-intensive logistical tasks in healthcare.

Diligent Robotics emerged from research funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, which supported Thomaz and Chu’s exploration of markets that would benefit from “teammate” robots. After analyzing the unique needs of healthcare systems, they discovered that repetitive, non-clinical tasks — such as transporting items throughout hospitals — significantly detracted from caregivers’ time with patients. This insight shaped the development of their first product, Moxi, designed to handle such tasks and optimize efficiency within hospitals.

Creating Moxi: A Revolutionary Robot Tailored for Healthcare Needs

Moxi’s journey from concept to invaluable teammate in healthcare began with multiple design iterations focused on solving critical challenges in hospital logistics. Initially, Diligent Robotics, co-founded by Vivian Chu and Andrea Thomaz, considered general cleaning as a primary role for Moxi. However, after extensive consultations with hospital executives, they pivoted toward a more impactful focus—addressing the nursing shortage and easing the workload burden on healthcare staff. With nearly 30% of nurses’ time spent on logistical, non-patient-facing tasks such as fetching supplies and delivering lab samples, Moxi’s role became clear: assist with these essential but time-consuming responsibilities, allowing nurses to concentrate more fully on patient care.