Millions of people — elderly individuals and those living with chronic illness — face the same daily challenge: taking the right medication at the right time, without assistance. Missed doses, mix-ups, or incorrect combinations can have serious health consequences, and for family members and caregivers, the constant worry never truly goes away.
ALMO (Autonomous Medication Mobile Operator) is a fully autonomous home robot designed to solve this problem directly. Rather than relying on passive reminders or human intervention, ALMO physically navigates to the patient, delivers the correct medication dose at the scheduled time, and returns safely to its docking station — entirely on its own.
How it works: ALMO begins by mapping its environment using a 360° LiDAR scanner. At a set time, it leaves its docking station, plans a real-time route through the home, and avoids unexpected obstacles such as furniture or pets. Once it locates the patient and the delivery is confirmed, ALMO autonomously returns to base and recharges.
Hardware: The robot is built around a Raspberry Pi 5 as its central brain, handling SLAM-based localization, path planning, and all software logic. Three dedicated ESP32 microcontrollers manage motor control, wireless communication, and real-time sensor data processing. Mobility and awareness come from a 360° LiDAR scanner, four ultrasonic distance sensors, four DC drive motors, and a camera with computer vision for precise docking alignment.
Development challenges: Getting ALMO to a working prototype required solving several real engineering problems. The original DC motor configuration lacked sufficient torque under full load, which required a complete mechanical redesign to reduce chassis weight while maintaining reliable traction. Fusing data from multiple sensors into a coherent awareness layer demanded extensive testing and calibration, as did building the autonomous mapping and navigation system from scratch.
Result: ALMO is a functional prototype that can navigate a home environment independently, safely, and without any manual control. It demonstrates that modern robotics can have a direct, meaningful impact on the daily lives of people who need care — giving patients greater independence, and giving their families peace of mind.