Tele-Robotics to add new dimension to healthcare with value addition through AI

Showcasing India’s growing strength in Artificial Intelligence-enabled healthcare and frontier science, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, today

The Minister was witnessing the successful live demonstration of an indigenously developed Tele-Robotic Ultrasonography system linking AIIMS, New Delhi with Maitri Research Station in Antarctica.

Referring to the ongoing Artificial Intelligence (AI) discussions in the national capital, Dr. Jitendra Singh said such innovations represent the convergence of AI, robotics, and real-time medical expertise, expanding the reach of specialist healthcare beyond geographical barriers.

Developed jointly by AIIMS New Delhi and IIT Delhi in collaboration with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the system enabled a doctor seated in Delhi to conduct a real-time ultrasound examination of a volunteer located over 12,000 kilometres away in Antarctica. The robotic arm, equipped with an ultrasound probe, offers six degrees of freedom, replicating the precise hand movements of an expert sonographer. With force-sensing safety features and diagnostically reliable imaging delivered with less than one-second delay, the system facilitates emergency-focused assessments including FAST scans, abdominal organ evaluation, cardiac assessment, and trauma screening.

Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, said the innovation could significantly reduce the need for emergency evacuations from Antarctica and strengthen India’s collaborative scientific presence in polar regions. He described it as a model of inter-institutional and inter-ministerial synergy.(updated on 16th feb 2026)