Areas of Excellence

AI-Powered Surgical Robots

Total Funding Approved

• over HK$96M

Coordinating Institution

• The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Professor Liu Yunhui)

Surgical robots are employed to carry out various surgical procedures with surgeons’ full manual control, causing concerns for operational safety and quality due to the possibility of human error. This project, led by Professor Liu Yunhui, introduces novel AI and automation functions to surgical robots to enhance operational safety and accuracy.

Professor Liu will form an interdisciplinary research team composed of robotics, AI and medical experts to establish an internationally leading research centre for automated robotic surgery in Hong Kong, which aims to develop cutting-edge AI-powered surgical robots that can perform surgical procedures accurately with high autonomy. It will conduct groundbreaking ex-vivo and clinical experiments to validate the robots. The team’s experts come from local institutions including CUHK, City University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, collaborating closely with established international institutions and organisations including Johns Hopkins University, Technical University of Munich, University College London, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Prince of Wales Hospital and Chinese PLA General Hospital (301 Hospital).

Through this project, the team aims to lead the research and development of cutting-edge surgical robotics technology and optimise the provision of medical services in Hong Kong. It also aspires to establish Hong Kong as a world-class centre for medical research and AI-powered surgical robotics development. Furthermore, the team is committed to transforming research outcomes into commercially viable products and services, contributing to the local high-tech industry and economic growth.