Doctor sitting in Delhi conducts ultrasonography on a person in Antarctica
Designed for extreme and remote environments, the technology assists in critical decisions on whether a patient can be managed locally or requires evacuation
India's indigenously-developed Tele-Robotic Ultrasonography (TUS) operated by radiologists in New Delhi conducted an ultrasound test on a person stationed 12,000 km away in Antarctica.
During the live demonstration of the ultrasound witnessed live by India's Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, himself a doctor, from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi as a doctor in India's national capital performed the test on a volunteer in India's research centre "Maitri" in Antarctica.
The robotic arm, equipped with an ultrasound probe, offers six degrees of freedom, replicating the precise hand movements of an expert sonographer, an official statement said on Monday.
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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.
The system has been developed jointly by AIIMS ,New Delhi, and Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi in collaboration with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Designed for extreme and remote environments, the technology assists in critical decisions on whether a patient can be managed locally or requires evacuation. This is especially significant 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.
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.
He 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.
The Minister said emerging technologies like AI-driven diagnostics and robotic intervention can bridge the rural-urban gap in the health- care sector, particularly in remote regions, in the coming years.
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.
