30.01.2026

Care facilities and home care face rising workload and staff shortages, increasing interest in assistive technologies that support care teams. The Technical University of Munich has presented a new generation of its robotic nursing assistant, Garmi, developed by MIRMI and the Munich Design Institute. The platform combines mobile navigation, two arms and sensor technology for future care use cases.

A mobile assistive robot with two articulated arms and a front screen stands in a bright corridor: Copyright: www.maxmerge

TUM’s care-assist robot Garmi: a mobile, sensor-equipped platform with two arms and a screen designed to support nursing staff and care recipients in facilities and home care.

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Hardware and sensors: mobile base, lifting column and two arms

The updated Garmi is built on a stable mobile base. Its upper body is mounted on an extendable lifting column with one arm on each side. Above the arms is a head with blinking eyes. Several sensors support perception and safe navigation:

Cameras at eye level to detect movement in the environment
Lidar at leg height to keep nearby objects at a safe distance
Future 3D cameras to secure and coordinate the movements of both arms
A screen at chest height for interaction and communication

From speech to action planning: first care-relevant functions

“The new Garmi understands language, develops a plan independently and brings a patient something to drink,” says Alexander König, whose team developed and implemented the new platform. He highlights the role of design for usability and acceptance: "A robot must be functional and operable, but must also have an appealing appearance. That's why we are collaborating with design experts." According to König, integrating technology and design includes precise grasping and reaching the right place to perform tasks, while also conveying trust and safety.

Judith Gerlach commented: “The new development approach of “Garmi” is extremely exciting. At its research site in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, TUM is creating innovative solutions that are ideally suited to relieving the burden on nursing staff. At the same time, the quality of life of people in need of care can be improved.”

Design inputs from caregivers and clinicians

MDI Director Annette Diefenthaler explains the focus shift: “While the original Garmi was designed as a versatile research platform, the new Garmi has been specifically developed for the care context,” she says. Workshops with carers, older people, doctors and robotics researchers informed design requirements such as “Empathetic, competent, professional, trustworthy and friendly”.

Next steps: safety for care facilities and home care

The new Garmi can pick up objects from the floor and retrieve items from higher locations. Separating face and screen also supports future telemedicine scenarios: during a remote examination, a clinician’s head could appear on the screen like a video call. The next step is to make the platform safe for use in both care facilities and at home.

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: Technical University of Munich

More about the Technical University of Munich at: www.tum.de/en