□ The research team led by Professor Minho Hwang from the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering at DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) officially received a donation of the ‘dVRK (da Vinci Research Kit)’ surgical robot research platform from the global medical robotics company Intuitive Surgical. With this donation, DGIST becomes the sixth institution in Asia to join the global surgical robot research network, laying the foundation for the advancement of Korean surgical robot research worldwide.
□ Intuitive Surgical manufactures the 'da Vinci,’ a leading surgical robot deployed worldwide with over 7,000 units. It has led innovations in minimally invasive surgery across various fields, including urology, obstetrics and gynecology, and general surgery. The da Vinci is recognized for its high-precision capabilities and features advanced technologies such as 3D endoscopy, image stabilization, and a 7-axis robotic arm for micromanipulation.
□ dVRK, donated to DGIST by the Intuitive Foundation, is an open-source research platform modified from the clinical da Vinci system for research purposes. The Intuitive Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization established by Intuitive Surgical, supports the advancement of surgical robotics technology by providing dVRK to research institutions worldwide.
□ dVRK enables researchers to directly access and analyze robot controllers, software, and sensor data. This facilitates the development of next-generation surgical technologies like AI-based automation and precision control. It currently functions as a key platform for a global research network that involves top universities such as Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and Georgia Tech.
□ Professor Minho Hwang's research team at DGIST was selected as the sixth official member of the network from Asia in recognition of its 15 years of research achievements in surgical robotics and precision manipulation automation. Professor Hwang, a former member of the research team led by Professor Ken Goldberg, a leading robotics and automation expert at UC Berkeley, is recognized as an expert in intelligent control and surgical automation.
□ Professor Hwang's research team is studying the complexities of the surgical environment, which includes factors like tissue deformation, narrow view, bleeding, and smoke. The main research areas include △endoscopic image-based environmental recognition, △micro-control and safety improvements for surgical tools, and △‘doctor-robot shared control technology,’ which enables robots to actively assist by learning the surgeon's operating patterns.
□ "dVRK is a rare research platform capable of directly controlling and analyzing all components of a surgical robot," said Professor Minho Hwang, "With this donation, DGIST will further lead research on next-generation surgical automation technologies and collaborate with domestic and international researchers to strengthen the foundation for future intelligent surgical technologies."
□ DGIST aims to use this donation as a springboard to expand its collaboration with the global surgical robot research community and develop into a center for next-generation surgical innovation research that integrates AI, precise control, and medical robot technologies.
