AIIMS doctors perform ultrasounds in Antarctica from 12,000km away
AIIMS Delhi just made medical history by performing real-time ultrasounds on people at India's Maitri station in Antarctica—from over 12,000km away.
Thanks to telerobotic tech, doctors in Delhi controlled a robotic arm at the icy outpost and got instant scan results.
This happened on January 30 during AIIMS Research Day.
How the scans were done
Doctors used a special device in Delhi that let them "move" a robotic arm holding an ultrasound probe in Antarctica.
The images traveled back through Starlink satellite internet, allowing doctors to view the scans live and make clinical decisions for specific exams such as abdominal, trauma/FAST, cardiac, Doppler and neck scans.
Scans could help in remote areas
The scans worked smoothly, even with only one doctor on-site and freezing -40°C weather.
This breakthrough could make expert medical care possible for remote places—like rural India or disaster zones—where getting to a specialist isn't easy.