The Chinese University of Hong Kong Develops AI Tracking for Medical Micro-Robots

Researchers at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have developed an AI-powered magnetic tracking technology designed to improve the real-time localisation and navigation of millimetre-scale wireless medical robots.

Led by Professor Zhang Li, the team developed a system that tracks miniature magnetic robots while they are being controlled by magnetic fields. 

The technology addresses a key challenge in medical robotics, where accurate real-time tracking can be difficult because of the robots’ small size, wireless operation and interference from strong magnetic fields.

The system achieved millimetre-level localisation accuracy at depths of up to 10cm inside biological tissue. 

Tracking data was also integrated with the robot’s control system to enable closed-loop navigation, allowing the robots’ movements to be continuously monitored and adjusted.

The technology was tested in a goat model, where miniature magnetic robots were guided through the spinal subarachnoid space and bile duct. 

Tests were conducted in an unshielded clinical environment with different sources of magnetic interference, with robot trajectories closely matching X-ray observations.
Published in Science Robotics, the research could support the development of minimally invasive robotic procedures in difficult-to-access areas of the body. 

Potential applications include targeted diagnosis and therapy within blood vessels, bile ducts and other confined anatomical regions. 

The work represents a step towards the clinical translation of miniature wireless medical robots.