Niveditha Kalavokonda (pictured), a 天美影视传媒 Electrical & Computer Engineering Doctoral student, is developing an autonomous robotic assistant for surgical suction. While robots are currently utilized in surgical settings, and praised for their minimal invasion, reduced risk of infection, faster recovery time and lessened scarring, they are currently only an extension of physicians鈥� hands.
Nivii鈥檚 work aims to create an independent robot that can perform assistive tasks alongside surgeons. Currently, she and her team are aiming to apply this technology to neurosurgery, with the autonomous assistant applying suction upon request, independently removing spots of blood that may impede a surgeon鈥檚 vision during neurosurgery.