This spring, students of mechanical automation at Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) demonstrated their creativity and technical skills in healthcare environments. In the Mechatronics Advanced course, third-year students developed mobile laundry and trash carts specifically designed for healthcare environments. They also devised solutions to open the cart lids without touch. This multidisciplinary collaboration project began in January 2025 and was completed in April 2025.
The assignment for mobile trash carts came from the Sote Virtual Lab team, who saw the need to improve the efficiency and ergonomics of laundry and waste management in healthcare. Ville Jouppila, the teacher of the Mechatronics Advanced course, guided the students throughout the project, and laundry and trash carts were borrowed from TAMK’s nursing practice facilities for development work.
During the project, students designed and built laundry and trash carts that can move independently and avoid obstacles. For lid opening, students developed “touch-free” solutions. With the help of mobile carts, healthcare professionals can focus more on patient care, as laundry and waste management become more efficient and hygienic. Students had to consider the specific features of healthcare environments in their development work, such as different surface and floor materials, hygiene and cleanliness, patient beds and other movable furniture, the needs of different professional groups, and the characteristics of laundry and various types of waste, such as weight when dry and wet. The solutions had to be easily attachable and detachable from the laundry and trash carts.
The course culminated in a demo session where teams of students presented their developed solutions. The SVL team got to see five different and creative solution proposals that used various techniques and approaches. It was great to see the students’ skills, enthusiasm, and commitment in presenting their solutions. The SVL team hopes that students will continue developing the laundry and trash carts, for example, as project work or in another suitable course, and that the collaboration with the students and Ville can continue.
In the pictures, students´demo versions of laundry and trash carts.
This project is a great example of how multidisciplinary collaboration and student innovations can be the beginning of significant improvements in healthcare environments. Under the guidance of Ville Jouppila, TAMK’s mechanical automation students have developed solutions that not only improve working conditions but also inspire other students, future engineers, and healthcare professionals to continue development work. Let’s continue multidisciplinary collaboration; we have great future experts studying at TAMK!
Text and pictures, Marjo Tienari