A team of Chinese researchers has created a robotic system capable of performing precise eye injections in the human eye. The surgery robot, developed by the Institute of Automation under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, aims to improve the accuracy and safety of surgeries for retinal diseases. In animal tests, the robot successfully conducted subretinal and intravascular injections with a 100% success rate.
The complexity of eye surgery, especially involving the delicate retina, poses significant challenges due to the eye’s small and soft structures. The newly developed system utilizes advanced algorithms for three-dimensional spatial perception, precise positioning, and trajectory control to maneuver a robotic arm. Through experiments on eyeball phantoms and animal eyeballs, the autonomous robot demonstrated a substantial reduction in positioning errors compared to manual and surgeon-controlled robotic surgeries.
The researchers highlighted that the autonomous intraocular microsurgical robot shows promise in enhancing injection precision, safety, and consistency. They believe that such a system could not only improve surgical outcomes but also reduce training periods for surgeons. Moreover, this technological advancement may facilitate complex eye procedures in remote or challenging environments where specialized surgeons are scarce.
In a separate development reported by Xinhua in November 2025, a Chinese medical team achieved a groundbreaking remote robotic eye surgery using a 5G-connected robot. The surgery, involving a retinal injection performed with micron-level precision, showcased the potential of technology in bridging medical resource gaps between urban and remote areas. During the procedure, a robot in Urumqi positioned a microscopic needle on a patient’s eye, while surgeons in Guangzhou remotely guided the needle to the retina’s surface for the injection.
