AUSTIN, TX —An Austin-made robot named Moxi has been named one of the "Best Inventions of 2019" by Time magazine.

The brainchild of Austin start-up Diligent Robotics, the robot interacts with patients while helping them with simple tasks. A gripper to pick up objects, an arm to reach for things and a mobile base to propel it, Moxi is ready to complete an array of duties.

The idea is to relieve nurses and clinical staff of certain mundane tasks that would otherwise take up 30 percent of their shifts, analysts found. According to the report, Diligent Robotics recently concluded yearlong trials at four Texas hospitals last month, and officially launched the robot full-time at a Dallas hospital. Plans call to have Moxi robots in more U.S. hospitals by the end of next year, Time reported.