For Immediate Release DowJones VentureWire Alert WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2005 BY VENTUREWIRE STAFF REPORTERS The robots are coming! To your local hospital, that is. So believes a group of venture investors that recently placed $11 million in Aethon Inc., a Pittsburgh-based company that's marketing talking robots designed to haul equipment through hospitals. Not exactly the image of your typical B-movie robot nurse, Aethon's flagship product, called the Tug, consists of a battery, motor, wheels and a computer. The robotic transport system - roughly the size of a small suitcase - is designed to automate the delivery of goods and equipment in hospitals, and carries the motto, "Let the Tug do it." A health-care professional is able to "call" the Tug through a PC to run an errand. Attached to any type of cart with a trailer hitch, the Tug can haul carts to deliver goods such as medication, meals and blood products weighing up to 500 pounds. Boasting sophisticated computerized navigation software, the Tug uses a detailed map of the building to plan routes, avoid obstacles and track its location within three inches. "The nurse puts whatever she needs in the cart and hits the 'go' button and the Tug's on its way," President and Chief Executive Aldo Zini said. New investor Trident Capital led the round that also included previous investors Draper Triangle Ventures, Salix Ventures, Ascension Health Ventures and Pacific Venture Group. Aethon had previously raised about $10 million. Return to News & Events | Return Home