It's a robot's life

His name is "Pathfinder," but most people call him Sparky--a nickname that somehow won out over more clever suggestions like "Laboratory Retriever."

He--yes, they've attached a gender--s still a novelty of sorts in the hallways of Baystate Medical Center, but he is fast becoming part of the landscape. Sparky is a robot that carries blood samples, reports, and other documents back and forth between the lab and several other departments in the hospital. He only moves at 4 mph and sometimes gets confused if someone or something blocks his path. But he also never gets sick, doesn't want or need vacation days, and won't ever ask for a raise.

And in many ways he represents the …