Student Project for an Autonomous Bed Mover

[GeeTwo]

Absolutely put sensors to ensure that there is not a patient in the bed! It would be far too easy for someone to fall out or wake up and decide to get off while moving. With something that important, I suggest at least two independent checks; temperature and weight would do nicely.
You may want to look at RFIDs to help the robot identify the bed.
Consider the traffic pattern of the hospital. Observe how traffic flows, and especially how it works around obstructions and when paths would cross. How fast do beds move today? Interview an orderly or two, and ask about what can go wrong pushing an empty bed, and how they deal with it. Emulate those behaviors as much as possible.
There should also be a way to verbally stop the robot - something simple like calling out "STOP".