Center for AI and Robotic Excellence in medicine (CARE) | Field & Frontier Medicine

Multimodal technologies integrated with telehealth are increasingly being used to support life-saving treatments in rural, frontier, and battlefield environments. In emergency and mass-casualty scenarios, surrogate AI experts can be deployed through see-through displays to provide on-demand assistance. These AI medics not only deliver step-by-step instructions but can also sense the cognitive load and stress level of first responders, dynamically adjusting the level of guidance to match the situation.

Unlike traditional medical systems, these AI agents require advanced reasoning capabilities to adapt treatments to limited resources in austere environments. We refer to this as Just-in-Time (JIT) medicine—the improvisation of solutions using makeshift tools and locally available instruments. Similarly, AI systems can adapt care protocols in situations where evacuation is delayed or impossible, supporting prolonged field care. A critical area of research involves building first-response datasets for procedures such as those outlined in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC)—pre-hospital trauma care guidelines designed to reduce preventable battlefield deaths through interventions like hemorrhage control and airway management.

Of particular relevance to the CARE Center is the use of autonomous robotics for medical logistics. This includes drones and quadrotors capable of carrying blood, medical instruments, and therapeutics across long distances with minimal recharge needs. More advanced concepts involve the autonomous evacuation of casualties, leveraging integrated solutions that combine drones with larger aerial vehicles.