Virtuoso Surgical, Inc., a Nashville-based surgical robotics company, has announced its pivotal role in a $12 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to advance fully autonomous surgical procedures. This initiative, dubbed Autonomy at a Less Invasive Scale in Surgery (ALISS), brings together top researchers in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) from Vanderbilt University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Tennessee (Knoxville), and University of Utah.
The project is spearheaded by Robert J. Webster, III, Ph.D., Co-founder and President of Virtuoso Surgical and Vanderbilt Engineering Professor, alongside a multidisciplinary team of 14 PhDs, 22 postgraduate researchers, and five surgeon-scientists. Webster emphasized that “fully autonomous surgical robots will transform medicine, making procedures safer, more affordable, and addressing the global shortage of surgeons.”
The Virtuoso Surgical System, a state-of-the-art robotic platform, will serve as the foundation for all AI and machine learning (ML) development in this initiative. Using a novel “demonstration-based learning” approach, human surgeons will teleoperate the system while it “shadows” their decision-making. This process allows the robot to learn generalized skills and develop advanced algorithms capable of autonomous surgical decisions.
Dr. Alan Kuntz of the University of Utah elaborated, explaining that the robot will adapt to new surgical scenarios while recognizing its limitations, asking for human input when needed — a critical step toward robust autonomy.
Within three years, the team aims to demonstrate autonomous robotic procedures for removing tumors in the trachea and prostate, initially under simulated conditions. Future applications include treatments for uterine fibroids, bladder tumors, and brain cysts.
Co-founder and CEO Dr. Duke Herrell noted that their goal is not to replace surgeons but to extend their capabilities, improving outcomes and expanding access to life-saving procedures.
