This is how far robots have come since the 1930s

Imagine a nurse pushing a courier with hospital equipment down crowded hallways, weaving through crowds and avoiding chairs and desks along the way. Now imagine that again, but without the nurse.

That's Helpmate for you.

In the era of driverless cars, Helpmate's ability to transport itself across hospitals may not seem revolutionary, but back in 1988, it was a technology that freed up people to do more important tasks that move a cart from one end of the hospital to another.

A boon to the health care system, this device could deliver medicines, supplies, prepared food, X-ray images and more.