A reliable WLAN connection is crucial

In 2019, onway carried out the first WLAN simulation for the new Baden Cantonal Hospital (Kantonsspital Baden, KSB) based on the existing construction plans. This summer, once the walls and doors had been fitted, but while construction work was still ongoing, site survey measurements were carried out to verify where best to place over 800 access points throughout the building. The biggest challenges linked with this project include the very different and in part large rooms, as well as the equipment and the various devices with diverse functions, which are widely distributed over several floors.

Autonomous robots connected via WLAN

The KSB uses autonomous robots to deliver patients’ food. They independently take meals prepared in the kitchen to the lift and deliver them to designated patient floors. From here, the meals can be easily distributed by staff. These autonomous robots are controlled via WLAN.

Many other devices also depend on a reliable WLAN connection. During their ward rounds, doctors each have access to a mobile PC on their trolley so that they can securely view and update current patient records at any time. Even ultrasound devices, ECGs and mobile inventory scanners are connected to the WLAN.

4 days per floor, 12 kilometres a day

Undertaking site-survey measurements in such a large building also demands a lot of physical effort from the system engineers. These works took Ivana Sikman and Jean-Christophe Zante four days per floor, while covering over 12 kilometres on foot per day. As construction work at the KSB is still ongoing, only the basement and ground floor, as well as the first to fourth floors have been surveyed so far. “In addition to the countless kilometres we covered on site while completing the site survey, ensuring guaranteed WLAN coverage in sometimes very large rooms and in particularly sensitive patient or treatment areas was particularly challenging,” says Jean-Christophe Zante, Systems Engineer at onway.

Photo: Copyright KSB