All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi performs India’s first telerobotic ultrasound in Antarctica

Key facts

• Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi successfully performed a telerobotic ultrasound on a patient at an Indian research station in Antarctica.
• The project is a collaborative initiative involving AIIMS, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC), and the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR).
• The feasibility trials, which commenced in December 2025, were conducted at India’s operational research stations in Antarctica, Bharati and Maitri.
• The telerobotic system employs a haptic mechatronic device in Delhi and a robotic arm in Antarctica, linked through satellite-based Starlink internet.
• The technology manages a signal transmission delay of approximately 100 milliseconds and uses control algorithms to stabilise the robotic arm's movements.
• This achievement represents the first instance globally where a tele-operated ultrasound diagnostic examination has been performed with the patient physically located in Antarctica.
• The current system utilised an industrial robot, but the collaborating institutions plan to develop a custom medical-grade robot for future phases.