22.09.2025

Patients trust autonomous robotic ultrasound systems more when they are guided by an avatar. This is the conclusion reached by Prof. Nassir Navab from the Chair of Computer Applications in Medicine at TUM. The avatar explains the examination procedure, answers questions, and can speak in different languages. Such systems are to be used in the future, particularly in regions with a shortage of doctors.

Image: A man is lying on a couch while a female doctor performs an examination with an ultrasound probe.

Robotic systems developed by researchers at the Technical University of Munich with avatar guidance can reduce stress in patients.

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Equipment and functionality

A screen, virtual reality glasses, a robotic arm with an ultrasonic head, and a powerful computer form the technical basis. The avatar appears to the patient in a virtual environment via the VR glasses. It conducts the conversation, answers questions, and explains what is happening. "This makes the whole process more human and friendly," says Prof. Navab. "And this has been proven to reduce stress among users of autonomous systems."

Stress levels compared

Researchers tested the approach with 14 people of different ages and genders. Four scenarios were compared: an examination without an avatar and three variants with virtual support. The avatar was used in a real environment, in a mixed environment, and in a completely virtual environment.

The test subjects were wired up with sensors for an ECG, and heart rate variability was used as a measure of stress. "The more this value drops during treatment, the higher the stress level of the person being treated," explains researcher Tianyu Song. The result: all variants with avatars led to lower stress than the purely real treatment. Avatars enjoyed the most trust in the real environment.

Support from the ForNeRo project

The project is funded by the Bavarian Research Foundation as part of the ForNeRo research network ("Seamless and ergonomic integration of robotics into clinical workflows"). Prof. Navab's team is already using the avatar specifically for demonstrations.

Language, accents, and nonverbal communication

The avatar receives questions via a speech recognition system, which converts them into text. A large language model generates responses based on this text, which are then converted back into spoken language.

"An important trust-building factor is the fact that the avatar not only speaks different languages, but can even do so in regional accents," says Song. For example, it can speak German with an Austrian or American accent. In addition, it gestures, pauses, and looks at patients – qualities that make the conversation more natural.

By combining robotics, virtual reality, and avatars, researchers at TUM are creating a system that reduces stress and builds trust. In the future, autonomous ultrasound examinations could make an important contribution to medical care – especially in areas where there is a shortage of doctors.

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: Technical University of Munich

More about the TU Munich at: www.tum.de/en