Robotic preparation of feeds for hospitalized babies and children
The NEOPERFECT project brings together Erasmus MC, TU Delft's RoboHouse, and healthcare robotics company Neollie to develop a smart solution for hospitals: a robot that safely prepares breast milk for newborns in intensive care. This newly formed public-private partnership aims to ease the workload of nurses in pediatric hospitals, where staff shortages are becoming a serious problem. By automating the complex and sensitive task of preparing and warming milk with personalized nutrients, the robot helps improve safety and efficiency in the care of vulnerable infants.
Neonatal and pediatric nurses currently spend a significant amount of time per shift preparing feeds. Mistakes, such as mixing up milk between babies, can lead to serious health risks. Around 8% of babies in the Netherlands are born prematurely and need special nutrition to grow and thrive. Ensuring that every feed is precisely tailored, safe, and hygienic is vital, especially in under-resourced hospitals. With the healthcare workforce under pressure nationwide, smart technology is needed to support staff and maintain high standards of care.
This project will further develop a working prototype, already tested in Sophia Children's Hospital, into a hospital-ready product. Using real-time sensors, sterile mixing systems, and automated dosing, the robot will be
integrated into hospital workflows and evaluated for its impact on staff satisfaction, error reduction, and time savings.
The main deliverables include a fully optimized and tested robotic feeding system, a pilot study report from two hospitals, and an implementation roadmap for broader use. By automating a critical but repetitive task, NEOPERFECT not only improves neonatal care but also sets the stage for more robotics solutions in healthcare, freeing up caregivers to focus on what matters most: care for the patients.
