Medical Robots and Telepresence

SRI’s telepresence capabilities leverage our comprehensive portfolio of expertise, which includes stereo imaging, telerobotics, sensory devices, video, speech recognition, and telecommunications, to perform monitoring, actual operations, and assistance-related activities from remote locations in real-time.

M7's robotic arms in a modular surgical platform.

Learn about our leading capabilities for life-changing applications in:

Telepresence surgery

Medical automation robots: Trauma Pod and M7

Telerobotics assistance for the elderly and disabled

Visit SRI's Medical Automation and Robotics Laboratory (MARLab) to see the technology that powers our life-saving solutions, and read about recent developments.

Telepresence Surgery

(1993 - present)

Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci Surgical System photo ©2008 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

SRI's novel approach to minimally invasive surgery led to the first U.S. FDA-approved telerobotic surgical system.

SRI’s telepresence surgical system allows surgeons to remotely perform minimally invasive surgical procedures from a separately located operating theater. In 1995, SRI spin-off company Intuitive Surgical, Inc., licensed the technology and is now the global market leader in surgical robotics. Throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, surgeons use the technology to help patients recover faster, with less pain and fewer complications.

Telepresence surgery carries some unique benefits because it provides the right feedback and immersive environment to allow for the surgeon to effectively use tools in a natural way with the same—or even better—dexterity than are possible when operating directly.

Learn more about SRI's approach to telepresence surgery here.

Medical Automation Robots

Following are key highlights about SRI's cutting-edge solutions in medical robotics. Learn more about the history of our medical automation robots and today's latest developments here.

Trauma Pod

(2005-present)

SRI's Trauma Pod control room.

SRI is the lead integrator on a collaborative DARPA program to develop a futuristic battlefield-based, unmanned medical treatment system dubbed the Trauma Pod.

This system could stabilize injured soldiers within minutes of a trauma and administer life-saving medical and surgical care prior to evacuation and during transport. Related developments are underway: dexterous robotic tools to improve patient outcomes and enable new procedures through development of nimble, smaller endoscopic tools; additional automation tools for the operating room; and remote delivery of trauma care.

The SRI-led Trauma Pod battlefield medical treatment system program is working to bring this technology to the battlefield to help save soldiers' lives.

Read SRI's press release announcing its role in the Trauma Pod program.

M7 surgical robot

(present)

For NASA, SRI’s M7 surgical robot conducted the first-ever acceleration-compensated medical procedure in zero-gravity flight.

SRI’s M7 surgical robot conducted the first-ever acceleration-compensated medical procedure in zero-gravity flight for NASA. The M7 was also the first surgical robot to be successfully deployed to an undersea habitat simulating the rigors of outer space in NASA's Extreme  Environment Mission Operation (NEEMO), demonstrating remote surgery over 1,200 miles of public Internet.  One year later, the M7 demonstrated the first autonomous ultrasound-guided medical procedure in the same undersea laboratory.

Telerobotics Assistance for the Elderly and Disabled

(2008-present)

SRI’s multidisciplinary approach to solving major global challenges has prompted researchers to invent robot-based solutions that would help manage assistance and care of the elderly and the disabled. Robots built on SRI’s telepresence technology could provide real-time remote monitoring, physical support, therapeutic advice, and communication between patient and caregiver, and among the patient, family members, and clinical personnel. Click here to see a video showing a sample task: dispensing medication with SRI’s M7 telemanipulation system.

Center for Research on Independent Aging

The Center for Research on Independent Aging (CRIA) brings together SRI researchers who have an interest in working on issues related to aging.