Mayo Clinic plans to create a dedicated testing environment for robotic workflows as it advances its $5 billion Rochester expansion initiative called “Bold. Forward. Unbound.” It recently filed permits to develop a 6,700-square-foot testing and simulation space within a warehouse at the Rochester Technology Campus, according to a Rochester Post Bulletin story.

The facility will be used to evaluate how robotics and related technologies function in future clinical settings before they are deployed in new patient care facilities. The Post Bulletin reports the approximately $450,000 project will support workflow testing involving both clinical and non-clinical staff. Planned activities include room layout evaluations, movement simulations, equipment placement testing and training exercises using non-functional medical equipment.

The robotics testing effort aligns with Mayo’s broader vision for an increasingly automated support infrastructure serving its downtown Rochester campus. In a March 2026 Mayo Clinic news release announcing a $75 million gift from the Grainger family, the organization outlined plans for the 185,000-square-foot Grainger Building, a logistics center scheduled to open in 2028. Mayo said the facility will use intelligent storage systems, AI-driven inventory forecasting and autonomous mobile robots to move supplies throughout the campus. Those robots are expected to travel through a 900-foot underground tunnel connecting the logistics center with future clinical buildings.

In a Mayo Clinic Magazine feature on the Grainger Building, Mayo said autonomous robots operating “beneath its floors and behind its walls” will deliver linens, instruments and other essential supplies to support staff and enhance the patient experience. The goal is to have automation systems handle routine logistical tasks to allow caregivers more time to focus on patients, and improve operational efficiency across the health care system.