Seminar by  Prof. Jackrit Suthakorn from Mahidol University, Thailand.

Medical robotics research is transforming patient care by advancing surgical precision, improving rehabilitation, and hospital services. This keynote presentation explores advances in surgical robotics that enable minimally invasive procedures with high accuracy, improving patient outcomes and reducing recovery time. Rehabilitation robotics offers tailored support, enabling patient mobility and independence, while hospital service robots optimize logistics, alleviating healthcare staff workload. By integrating artificial intelligence, sensor technology, and biomechanical design, medical robotics not only enhances safety and efficiency but also advances a patient-centered approach. These advancements promise to reshape healthcare, providing accessible, effective solutions across different clinical environments. At the forefront of this advancement is the Center for Biomedical and Robotics Technology (BART LAB), a leading research center dedicated to developing cutting-edge robotic technologies tailored to address real-world clinical challenges. Collaborating closely with hospitals and medical professionals, BART LAB ensures that its research aligns with the practical demands of healthcare providers. By prioritizing patient safety and efficacy from the outset, BART LAB adheres to ISO standards and regulatory guidelines, building trust within the medical community. Clinical trials rigorously test and validate these technologies, bridging the gap between lab research and practical patient care. This patient-centered approach drives significant advancements in medical robotics, enhancing precision, accessibility, and effectiveness across healthcare applications. Robotics is transforming surgery, rehabilitation, and hospital services, improving patient outcomes and operational efficiency as research and collaboration propel the development of adaptive, intelligent systems.

Jackrit Suthakorn is currently with the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Mahidol University, Thailand. He received his Ph.D. in Robotics from Johns Hopkins University, USA, in 2003, a master's degree from Michigan Technological University, USA, in 1998, and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Mahidol University, Thailand, in 1995. He founded the Center for Biomedical and Robotics Technology (www.BARTLAB.org), the first research center focused on medical robotics research in Thailand, established in 2004. In 2006, he co-founded Thailand's first Department of Biomedical Engineering at Mahidol University, where he served as the inaugural department chair until 2015. He was appointed Dean of Engineering at Mahidol University for two consecutive terms from 2015 to 2023. Under his leadership, Mahidol Engineering became Thailand's first engineering institute accredited by "ABET, USA" for six programs simultaneously. It also received the Thailand Quality Class (TQC) award in 2022, the first science and technology academic institute in Thailand to earn this recognition. In 2022, Mahidol Engineering was ranked No. 3 in Thailand by the "THE" World Ranking for Engineering and Technology. He was elected President of the Council of Engineering Deans of Thailand for two terms in 2018 and 2022.

His research interests are in medical robotics, focusing on (1) Surgical Robotics, (2) Rehabilitation Robotics, and (3) Hospital Service and Tele-Medicine Robotics, including surgical training systems and international standards for active medical devices. He has published over 100 works in international journals, book chapters, and peer-reviewed conference proceedings indexed in the Scopus database, with accumulated research funding exceeding USD 10 million over the past 20 years.

He was a co-founder of the Thai Robotics Society (TRS) in 2004 and served as its president from 2007 to 2010. He also served as a Trustee of the International RoboCup Federation for two terms, from 2019 to 2023, and was the General Chair of the "World RoboCup 2022," held in Bangkok, Thailand, a USD 1.5 million international event. Currently, he is the President of the Thailand RoboCup Robotics Association, a Founding Trustee of RoboCup Asia-Pacific (RCAP), and the Chair of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, Thailand Chapter.