Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said tele-robotics will add a new dimension to healthcare with value addition through Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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 Tele-Robotic Ultrasonography (TRU) system enabled a doctor seated in Delhi to conduct a real-time ultrasound examination of a volunteer located over 12,000 km 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.
Designed for extreme and remote environments, the technology assists in critical decisions on whether a patient can be managed locally or requires evacuation, an especially significant factor in Antarctica, where airlifting is both costly and logistically complex. Built with affordability, robustness and scalability in mind, the system holds potential for deployment in border areas, disaster zones, rural health centres and mobile medical units across the country.
Singh noted that India’s polar expeditions and ocean missions are not limited to geoscience research but are increasingly becoming platforms for innovation with real-world applications.
“The tele-robotic system, inspired by challenges faced during Antarctic expeditions, is an example of how field experience can translate into scalable technological solutions,” he said.
The Minister also spoke about the growing rural-urban healthcare divide and the difficulty of ensuring specialist presence in remote regions despite adequate human resources. He said emerging technologies such as telemedicine, AI-driven diagnostics and robotic intervention can bridge this gap and redefine clinical practice in the coming years.
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.
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