Moxi the Robot: Easing Nurse Burnout, Elevating Care

As Diligent Robotics continues to innovate and expand Moxi’s capabilities, the company stands ready to shape the future of healthcare, one task at a time.

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.

From the outset, Moxi was built with healthcare in mind, combining functionality with an approachable design. Equipped with heart-shaped eyes, a touchscreen interface, and friendly, reassuring beeps, Moxi moves seamlessly through hospital environments, capable of navigating doors and elevators autonomously. Its design doesn’t just enhance functionality but also offers a friendly presence that blends into the sensitive environments of patient care areas.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored just how crucial Moxi’s role could be. Amid a period of intense burnout, where 84% of nurses reported feeling exhausted, Moxi became an irreplaceable support system, stepping in to streamline logistics. As Diligent’s tailored software allowed for easy customization, hospitals could map out delivery points and assign tasks to Moxi quickly. This adaptability proved essential in the rapidly changing conditions of the pandemic, where new workflows could be set up within moments—minimizing logistical strain on medical staff and allowing them to focus on patient care.

Moxi’s utility extended beyond standard healthcare tasks through meaningful partnerships like Kendra Cares, where the robot helped deliver custom jewelry to children in hospitals, offering moments of joy amid challenging times. Chu’s vision for Diligent Robotics is ambitious yet grounded in practicality: “The bigger picture we see for Moxi is really transforming the way we think about healthcare and automation… allowing staff to really focus on the people in the hospital as opposed to the tasks.”

In this vision, Moxi isn’t just a helper—it’s a partner shaping the next chapter of compassionate, technology-enhanced healthcare.

The Growth of Diligent Robotics and Moxi’s Impact on Healthcare

Diligent Robotics launched Moxi commercially in 2018 with $2 million in seed funding. In a short time, Moxi had a transformative impact in hospital settings. By 2023, Diligent Robotics deployed Moxi across 22 healthcare systems, supporting over 200 hospitals. Moxi completed 400,000 tasks, saving more than 200,000 staff hours. This efficiency has helped alleviate healthcare professionals’ burnout and stress, improving the quality of patient care.

One milestone in Moxi’s journey was its deployment at Medical City Healthcare in 2020, where it completed over 10,000 tasks within three months. By 2023, Moxi had completed over 500,000 deliveries across its hospital network, demonstrating its essential role in relieving staff burdens, particularly during high-demand periods like the Covid-19 pandemic.

Securing Funding and Expanding Diligent Robotics’ Reach

To scale its impact, Diligent Robotics continued to attract significant funding. After raising nearly $50 million by 2022, Diligent Robotics received an additional $25 million in September 2023, bringing the company’s valuation to $150 million. These funds are dedicated to expanding Moxi’s footprint by threefold in the next two years, in addition to further advancing the product’s development to meet the evolving demands of healthcare facilities.

Operating on a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model, Diligent Robotics offers a flexible and cost-effective solution for hospitals by tailoring Moxi’s deployment based on the specific needs and scale of each hospital. This subscription-based approach has made Moxi accessible to a wide range of healthcare providers, helping them tackle workforce shortages while improving operational efficiencies. With the global smart hospital market projected to reach $82.89 billion by 2026, Diligent Robotics is well-positioned to play a significant role in this growing field.

Moxi Beyond Logistics

Beyond essential logistics, Diligent Robotics also aims to make Moxi a source of social support for hospital patients. In partnership with Kendra Scott’s Kendra Cares organization, Diligent Robotics created a program where Moxi brings jewelry and art supplies to pediatric patients, brightening their stays in hospitals. Through virtual “Color Bar” sessions, children design custom jewelry, and Moxi delivers their unique creations directly to their rooms. The partnership started at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio and Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, with plans to expand, underscoring Diligent Robotics’ commitment to making Moxi a source of joy as well as practical support.

Diligent Robotics’ Vision for the Future of Healthcare

With Dr. Andrea Thomaz’s mission to create “teammate robots” that enrich workplaces, Diligent Robotics envisions a healthcare future where robots and humans collaborate seamlessly. By freeing up healthcare providers from repetitive tasks, Moxi has already redefined the hospital environment, enabling professionals to focus on providing high-quality patient care and relief from burnout. Moxi’s achievements in reducing task loads and improving operational efficiencies set a precedent for the role of robotics in other sectors, especially those demanding human-centered support.

As Diligent Robotics continues to innovate and expand Moxi’s capabilities, the company stands ready to shape the future of healthcare, one task at a time. Through its partnerships, groundbreaking funding milestones, and relentless focus on practical and social impacts, Diligent Robotics is not only transforming hospitals but also leading the way in defining what it means to create socially aware, impactful robots.

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Picture of Anshika Mathews
Anshika Mathews
Anshika is the Senior Content Strategist for AIM Research. She holds a keen interest in technology and related policy-making and its impact on society. She can be reached at anshika.mathews@aimresearch.co
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