Samsung Medical Center Establishes Platform for Developing 'AI-Based Surgical Robots'

Selected for Ministry of Health and Welfare Project... Receives Approximately 10 Billion Won in Funding Over Five Years

Consortium Formed Across Industry, Academia, Research, and Healthcare Including Rainbow Robotics

Samsung Medical Center has been designated as a forward base for advancing artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cutting-edge surgical robot technology and integrating it into real-world medical settings.

Researchers at Samsung Medical Center standing in front of the surgical robot. From the right: Yonggi Jung, Professor of Otolaryngology; Jooyoung Bae, Professor of Plastic Surgery; KyuHwan Jung, Professor at the Intelligent Medical Robot Research Center; Namgi Oh, Professor of Transplant Surgery. Samsung Medical Center

Samsung Medical Center announced on May 28 that it has been selected as the lead institution for the "AI-Based Surgical Robot Innovation Lab Establishment and Utilization Project," a project organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. This project is part of the "2026 1st Biohealth Technology Research and Development Project" promoted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to secure future growth engines in the biohealth sector.

Accordingly, Samsung Medical Center will receive approximately 10 billion won in government funding over the next five years to develop AI-based surgical robots.

Samsung Medical Center will first establish an "AI-Based Surgical Robot Innovation Lab" to identify unmet needs in surgical sites and provide rapid demonstration and feedback. It plans to form a joint research ecosystem that covers everything from the development and advancement of embodied AI-based surgical robots to commercialization. This will be achieved through a consortium comprising global robotics companies such as Rainbow Robotics, Erop, and Roen Surgical; AI expert groups including Tomorrow Robotics, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology, and Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology; as well as Haehaeho, the only domestic company specializing in healthcare UI/UX, creating a collaborative partnership across industry, academia, research, and healthcare sectors.

To ensure successful project execution, service agencies such as BLT Patent & Law Firm, regulatory consulting firm Meditip, healthcare law firm Edem, and digital healthcare startup investment company Digital Healthcare Partners will also participate.

Yonggi Jung, Professor of Otorhinolaryngology at Samsung Medical Center and project leader, will open the "AURORA lab," which will be dedicated to supporting the advancement and commercialization of surgical robot technology, and seek ways to secure leadership in the AI surgical robot market. The hospital will build exclusive research facilities for the Aurora Lab and an environment for demonstrating surgical robots, while also operating specialized teams to closely support the entire process before commercialization, including prototype performance verification, safety evaluation, and usability assessment.

During the first phase of the project, which runs through 2028, the focus will be on establishing specialized research facilities for surgical robots, advancing AI technology, developing prototypes, verifying their performance, and securing patents. In the second phase (2029–2030), the plan is to raise the technology readiness level (TRL) of AI-based surgical robots to just before the final commercialization stage (level 9). Based on this, the hospital aims to expedite the process of obtaining medical device approvals from domestic and international regulatory agencies and applying for innovative medical technology evaluations, so that actual deployment in medical institutions can proceed swiftly.

Previously, Professor Jung was selected last year for the first phase of the Korean ARPA-H project, "Development of a Humanoid Physical AI-Based Surgical Assistant Robot for Efficient Surgical Environments." Through synergies with the current project, a foundation has been laid for the hospital to stay ahead in the global technology race.

Professor Jung stated, "The hospital will take the lead in resolving issues such as identifying unmet needs in clinical settings, demonstration consulting, and regulatory support, which have been challenges in the surgical robot development process," adding, "We aim to serve as a forward base for technological advancement so that AI surgical robots, the core of precision medicine, can be integrated into actual medical practice."

Woosung Heo, Director of the Future Medicine Research Institute and Deputy Director of Research at Samsung Medical Center (Professor of Nephrology), emphasized, "By combining the hospital's world-class clinical capabilities with advanced technology, this will become a turning point for a dramatic leap in Korea's medical robot industry," adding, "We will spare no effort in providing comprehensive infrastructure support and creating an optimal research environment so that Samsung Medical Center can play a central role in the development and demonstration of medical robots, including surgical robots."

In addition to Professor Jung, who serves as overall project director, the team will include medical professionals with deep expertise in medical AI technology and surgical robots, working together as a multidisciplinary "One Team." This includes Professors Kyuhwan Jung (Intelligent Medical Robot Research Center), Namgi Oh (Transplant Surgery), Jooyoung Bae (Plastic Surgery), Deokhyeon Han (Urology), Gwanghee Ryu (Otorhinolaryngology), Sunho Lee (Neurosurgery), Jinseong Park (Orthopedic Surgery), Sanghoon Ahn (Gastrointestinal Surgery), and Seongyong Park (Thoracic and Esophageal Surgery).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.