IIT-Kharagpur ties up with Intuitive Foundation to develop AI-driven models for robotic surgery

Kolkata, Dec 18 (PTI) IIT-Kharagpur has partnered with the Intuitive Foundation to launch a research programme aimed at developing AI-enabled digital models of surgery to improve safety, consistency and future automation of robotic-assisted procedures.

As part of the collaboration, the institute inaugurated MANAS (Multi-modal AI in Navigation & Automation for Surgical Robotics), which will focus on creating structured digital representations of surgical workflows by mapping decisions taken across the entire surgical process, a statement said.

The initiative seeks to identify key decision points and repetitive tasks that could benefit from AI-based guidance and selective early-stage automation, it said.

The research will be powered by the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK), a non-clinical platform repurposed from retired da Vinci robotic systems, allowing academic experimentation in controlled laboratory settings without involving human surgery.

Using real-world clinical insights, particularly from documented cholecystectomy procedures, researchers will refine digital models to support safer and more standardised robotic-assisted care, the statement said.

IIT-Kharagpur Director Prof Suman Chakraborty said the programme brings together academia, clinicians and global technology partners to develop “robust and responsible frameworks that enhance surgical safety and improve patient outcomes.” Associate Professor Prof Debdoot Sheet said the focus is on documenting surgery in a computationally interpretable form to strengthen decision-making and reliably automate highly repeatable tasks.

The programme is supported by IIT-Kharagpur’s collaboration with Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata. PTI BSM RBT