AIIMS docs conduct remote ultrasound scans on volunteers in Antarctica
Real-time scans were performed remotely using a telerobotic ultrasound system on volunteers of the Indian Antarctica station, Maitri
AIIMS docs conduct remote ultrasound scans on volunteers in Antarctica
Recently, a team at AIIMS Delhi performed ultrasound scans on a group of volunteers. This medical procedure would seem usual; however, it was anything but — the subjects were not physically present at AIIMS. They were in Antarctica.
The real-time scans were performed remotely using a telerobotic ultrasound system on volunteers of the Indian Antarctica station, Maitri.
This technology demonstration was led by Dr Chandrashekhara SH, professor in the Department of Radiodiagnosis, IRCH, and was conducted on the AIIMS Research Day 2026 on Friday (January 30).
Using the advanced telerobotic ultrasound system, the clinician remotely controlled a robotic arm holding an ultrasound probe, demonstrating the feasibility of expert radiological care across extreme geographical and climatic barriers, AIIMS said in a statement. The system uses a robotic arm controlled remotely to position the ultrasound probe, while images are streamed back to the clinician in Delhi, it said.
The system was co-developed by IIT and AIIMS Delhi in 2022.
This demonstration was the combined project of AIIMS, IIT Delhi, I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC), National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) and Rajiv Gandhi Superspeciality hospital (RGSSH).
