Footnotes

• Contributors RD, VB and SA defined the interface specification according to the robot provider. VB and SA developed the interface with the HL7 standards. RD performed the different tests and the qualification of the interface according to the provider supervision. VB verified the results of the tests and qualification.The implementation of the interface was done with VB and SA according to the robot provider recommendations. MR collected the production data of the two robots before and after interface implementation. AM and HA helped supervise the project. RD and MR wrote the letter with support from AR.

• Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

• Competing interests None declared.

• Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.