Believing in the power of Human-Technology, technology that places humanity at its core, True Digital Group, in collaboration with King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital of the Thai Red Cross Society, has successfully developed Thailand’s first intelligent robot to support thyroid cancer treatment using radioactive iodine. The robot is now in real use alongside medical professionals to provide patient care.
Behind this breakthrough is Suriya Konkham, Head of True Digital Group’s robotics team. Driven by both his professional experience and lifelong passion for robotics, he led his team through uncharted challenges to create an innovation that not only advances cancer treatment but also brings comfort and hope to patients.
It All Began with a Passion for Robotics
Suriya did not graduate in technology, nor did he begin his career in robotics. He studied architecture and later earned a scholarship to pursue his master’s degree in the same field in the United States. After graduation, he shifted into marketing roles abroad. It wasn’t until about ten years ago, when he joined one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies, that he began working on technical projects, including robotics development, a passion he had long carried with him.
Of course, there are many types of robots in the world. But Suriya has always been fascinated by those designed to take on dangerous tasks in place of humans. These are robots built to perform what is often referred to as the “3D” work: Dirty, Dull, and Dangerous.
“I would watch documentaries and series and think, what if we could send robots into wildfire zones to dig trenches and contain the flames? Or use them to deliver medicine into remote forests, or rush blood supplies to hospitals in disaster areas? Robots designed to follow the 3D principle have immense value and purpose,” Suriya shared, reflecting on his inspiration.
Eventually, he had the opportunity to help develop rescue robots in Japan, where they were tested and deployed in real-world environments, just as he had always envisioned.
Expanding Possibilities: From Delivery Robots to Medical Robots
After many years of overseas experience, Suriya joined True Digital five years ago. What drew him in was the challenge of working on projects at a larger and more diverse scale.
The first project he was assigned was the development of Robots as a Service. At that time, however, the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. In response, True’s robotics team pioneered a new approach in a real-world situation by adapting commercial delivery robots for medical use to help care for patients in a 400-bed field hospital.
“We adapted delivery robots, the kind people are familiar with in restaurants moving items from point A to point B, by adding telemedicine functions for delivering medicine and checking patients’ conditions. We had only two nights to map the routes so the robots could reach all 400 beds. This became a way to support doctors and nurses who were already limited in number at that time,” Suriya said.
From Field Hospitals to Thyroid Cancer Wards
In 2023, when True Digital partnered with King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital to develop a robot that could assist in thyroid cancer treatment using radioactive iodine, Suriya explained that the project fit perfectly with the 3D principle of robotics: reducing risk and increasing safety for everyone involved in the treatment process from start to finish.
Radioactive iodine begins emitting radiation as soon as the capsule container is taken out of its seven-kilogram lead box. Even after a patient swallows the capsule, radiation continues to be released from the body. This means that everyone who comes into contact with the patient, including doctors, nurses, and cleaning staff entering the recovery room, is exposed to some level of radioactive iodine.
“A male nurse has to push a cart carrying the lead box with the radioactive capsule into the patient’s room and watch until the patient swallows the medicine. After finishing this task, he cannot go home immediately because he must stay until the level of radiation in his body decreases to a safe limit. The cleaning staff also face risks when they clean the room, as radioactive residue may remain on various surfaces. Having robots take over these steps could significantly reduce the health impact on people,” Suriya pointed out.
Happy: A Robot Developed with an Outside-In Approach
The robot that has become an essential assistant in this ward is named “Happy.” It was built on the Outside-In concept, focusing on the real needs of users. Development began with a Design Thinking process to understand users, identify problems, and generate ideas from every perspective. Teams from both the hospital and the robotics side came together to discuss, listing all the functions they wanted. From there, they identified common priorities and feasible solutions before developing the robot with four key functions:
- Transport: Delivering radioactive iodine for treatment, as well as medicines, medical supplies, and food.
- Telemedicine: Allowing doctors to consult with patients, provide advice, and monitor symptoms closely via video calls.
- Vital Signs Monitoring: Measuring and recording patients’ vital signs with real-time data integration.
- Radiation Detection: Surveying and measuring radiation contamination in patient rooms and other areas using a Geiger meter.
“This collaboration was led on the medical side by Associate Professor Dr. Kanaungnit Kingpetch, M.D. from the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University. She headed the nuclear medicine team and oversaw the overall design of the robot to ensure it could safely meet real hospital needs, allowing new technology to be applied in practice and provide the most support for patient care,” Suriya explained.
The development period lasted one year, starting with dismantling the chassis of a delivery robot, modifying the mechanisms, and reinforcing the wheels to support the weight of medical packages. At the same time, coding and mechanical engineering adjustments were made so the robot could walk without toppling and brake without losing balance, since safety was a non-negotiable priority.
“Normally, delivery robots do not bear concentrated weight in a single spot like radioactive medicine containers. We spent months testing, running thousands of trials over a two-month period to ensure the safety of weight distribution. Only then did we proceed with molding the outer structure based on the design. When we tested the robot’s actual journey in the hospital, we collected feedback and real-world challenges to further improve its performance,” Suriya added.
In terms of operation, the 5G network played a crucial role. The robot is controlled via a tablet connected to a fast, stable network that enables real-time communication and transfer of diagnostic data, with everything stored securely in the cloud. However, because the patient rooms are lined with one-centimeter-thick lead walls, equivalent to one meter of red brick, a dedicated cell site was installed inside the ward to ensure full network efficiency.
A Robot That Blends Humanity, Healing Both Body and Mind
The concept of Humanize was another major focus in the design of this robot. It is no surprise that the joint team chose to name the robot “Happy.” Beyond its role as a medical assistant, Happy was created to bring smiles to staff, patients, and even passersby. Its cat-like design, colorful patterns, tablet interface, and pleasant voice all help make the robot more approachable.
In the thyroid cancer ward, “Happy” is not only a medical assistant. For patients, it plays a role in emotional healing, offering encouragement during treatment.
“The hospital conducts side surveys after each case with patients and their families. In the past, patients often felt afraid and uneasy, worried that the staff who cared for them in the room would also be exposed to radiation. But with Happy around, they feel more at ease. A room that once felt gloomy and isolating becomes brighter. Patients can even make video calls with visiting family members, giving them greater comfort and morale,” Suriya explained.
Happy has been continuously developed and has been in actual use at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital for two years, covering more than 1,200 beds. Currently, there are three robots in operation. Their features cover the full process of caring for patients undergoing radioactive iodine treatment, including scanning radiation levels and generating room maps, enabling telemedicine between doctors and patients, and allowing patients to communicate with family members. The robots also deliver three meals a day without the need for nurses and can measure vital signs such as pulse and blood pressure, with data stored in the cloud for physicians to review.
Happy is one of the innovations showcased at the CP Innovation Exposition & Symposium 2025, a platform where employees from all CP Group businesses across 15 countries and economic regions present their work. The project won the prestigious Chairman Award. Over time, Happy has also received several other recognitions, including the Thailand Public Service Award (TPSA) 2024, Outstanding Award in the Service Innovation category, from the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC).
A Dream of a Companion Bot, a Helper and a True Friend
Before ending the conversation, Suriya shared that his greatest life dream is to create a Companion Bot, an everyday assistant that could accompany people wherever they go, almost like a true friend.
“If you search, you will find robots like this. One example is Japan’s RoboHon, a technology that has been around for years. It was designed to be a companion for people, able to recognize its owner’s face and voice, hold conversations, search for information, and even use an LED projector to display stored images. It could also send daily reminders, such as telling elderly users when to take their medicine.”
“I believe that if such a concept is combined with today’s new technologies, like AI or Physical AI, Companion Bots will become even smarter. My dream is to build a robot that can truly serve as both a friend and an assistant, one that can be widely adopted in people’s daily lives,” Suriya concluded.
