In the early days of robots for hospitals, hotels and managed care facilities, Wi-Fi first had to be installed in buildings so the robots could know what to do next.

True: historical, industry or company sources (for example Aethon TUG hospital robots, Savioke Relay hotel robots, or eldercare robot deployments) show that early deployments generally required Wi-Fi to be installed in the buildings, and that the robots needed it for task dispatch or for knowing what to do next. Mostly true: Wi-Fi installation was commonly required in early deployments, but evidence for one of the three sectors is lacking, or the robots used it for a closely related purpose. Mixed: Wi-Fi was needed in some early deployments but not typically, or it was needed in roughly half of the sectors named. Mostly false: Wi-Fi was rarely a precondition, or the robots mainly used other means (pre-programmed routes, other radio links) and Wi-Fi was incidental. False: evidence shows early robots in these settings did not need Wi-Fi, or the buildings already had it as standard.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 Providence Hospital Goes Robotic HC Innovation Group · 24 June 2011

   “Prior to implementation, Providence had not yet installed a wireless network, a necessary component for TUG's functionality.”

2. E2 Providence Hospital Goes Robotic HC Innovation Group · 24 June 2011

   “Aethon comes out and makes a schematic map of the hospital, and maps out a wireless route for the TUG, "so it knows where it's going," Todd says.”

3. E3 Providence Hospital Goes Robotic HC Innovation Group · 24 June 2011

   “Other systems have to install expensive infrastructures such as Wi-Fi or active RFID networks, but because we have no tracks, wiring, or networks, it's a straightforward process,”

4. E4 The robot butler is coming to a hotel near you KONE · 19 June 2018

   “The platform calls the connected elevator for the robot. This means there is no need for extra installations on site.”

5. E5 Hotel Robots: Types, Use Cases, Costs & Benefits (Complete Guide) | Robots International Robots International

   “Reliable WiFi coverage throughout all guest floors, service areas, and elevator shafts is a prerequisite for robot operation. Many older hotel properties require WiFi infrastructure investment before robot deployment.”

6. E6 WHITEPAPER: 10 Robots That Can Speed Up Your Supply Chain Robotics Business Review (roboticsbusinessreview.com)

   “TUGs can connect to an existing Wi-Fi or 900 MHz network to communicate with elevators, automatic doors and fire alarms.”

7. E7 Homegrown Technology Dashing into Hospitality Industry Silicon Valley Voice (SVVoice) · 22 November 2017

   “Then Dash is off, by himself, navigating hallways and using WiFi to communicate with the hotel’s elevator system.”

E1 reports that Providence Hospital had to install a wireless network before deploying Aethon's TUG robot, and calls it necessary for the robot to work. But the same article quotes a speaker, apparently for the vendor, saying TUG needs no tracks, wiring or networks, unlike other systems that install Wi-Fi or active RFID networks (E3), and a trade whitepaper says TUGs could use either existing Wi-Fi or a 900 MHz link to talk to elevators, doors and alarms (E6). For hotels, an undated buyer's guide says many older properties had to invest in Wi-Fi before deploying robots (E5), and a hotel robot used Wi-Fi to work the elevators (E7). There is no evidence for eldercare facilities. Apart from the wireless route described in E2, which a person quoted says lets the robot know where it is going, most of the evidence shows Wi-Fi used to communicate with elevators and doors rather than for knowing what to do next, so the claim is only partly supported.