Dresden: 1.2 million euros for research into human-robot collaboration in the operating theater
Stefanie Speidel, Professor of Translational Surgical Oncology, and Martin Wagner, Professor of AI-supported Assistance Systems in Surgery, were awarded the prestigious Reinhart Koselleck Fellowship by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
The grant, which was awarded to interdisciplinary teams for the first time, is endowed with 1.2 million euros over five years. The researchers want to use the funding to enable safe collaboration between humans and robots in the operating theater.
- Creating realistic surgical simulations
As part of the interdisciplinary project "Balancing the Odds by Simulating Rare Cases for Surgical Data Science" (SIMSURGE), the research team aims to develop semi-automated methods for creating a large number of realistic surgical simulations - especially of rare and critical cases - to advance surgical artificial intelligence (AI) and data science, and to train robots for surgery. By combining precise physical modeling with generative AI, the project will create data-rich environments that improve realism, diversity and scientific accuracy.
The knowledge gained will help reduce bias in surgical AI, improve quality assurance and enable safer collaboration between humans and robots in the operating room - ultimately supporting surgical training and decision-making.
- About the Reinhart Koselleck Program
Reinhart Koselleck projects stand for more freedom for particularly innovative research. Scientists with a proven track record of scientific achievement are to be given the opportunity to carry out highly innovative and, in a positive sense, risky projects.
- About the Cluster of Excellence Center for Tactile Internet with Human-Machine Interaction (CeTI)
The CeTI Cluster of Excellence at TU Dresden is researching how to enable people and machines to exchange skills and work together in real and virtual spaces. The aim is to develop innovative solutions to major global challenges, including pandemics, ageing societies, skills shortages, climate change and geopolitical problems. Building on the first funding phase (CeTI1), CeTI2 will investigate a variety of use cases, including immersive remote collaboration, reducing travel through advanced telepresence and strengthening technological independence through internal development. CeTI continues to work interdisciplinarily with researchers from the fields of electrical engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, medicine, psychology and neuroscience, among others. CeTI also sees itself as a social actor: more than 600 schools are to be reached in the second funding phase and young people are to be inspired by STEM subjects at an early stage.