Levita's robot completes first surgery with AI-guided camera

Minimally invasive surgery usually requires a delicate dance between the lead surgeon and a camera assistant. One wrong nudge or a tired arm, and the doctor's entire field of view shifts at the worst possible moment.

Levita Magnetics just eliminated that problem. The Mountain View-based company announced that a surgeon performed the world’s first gallbladder procedure using its MARS platform equipped with an AI-guided autonomous camera. The milestone surgery took place at Clínica Las Condes in Santiago, Chile.

Using a latest-generation Stryker 1788 4K camera, the system automatically tracked surgical tools and adjusted the visual field in real time without any human hands on the camera controls.

Goodbye camera assistant

Traditionally, laparoscopic surgeons rely on a dedicated assistant to hold, swivel, and focus the camera. Levita's MARS system previously allowed surgeons to control the camera directly, but adding AI pushes the process into full autonomy.

According to Dr. Ricardo Funke, chief of surgery at Clínica Las Condes, the system keeps instruments in view automatically. That gives the surgeon a rock-solid, uninterrupted field of vision while freeing them from having to think about camera angles.

Levita has been steadily building momentum in the surgical robotics space. Founded in 2011, the company combines robotics with external magnetic technology to maneuver internal organs through fewer incisions.

In June, the U.S. FDA broadened MARS indications to include bariatric and hiatal hernia procedures. By July, surgeons worldwide had completed over 1,000 cases using the platform. Levita also recently took home an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for a dual-robot prostate procedure and has tested Meta Quest headsets for augmented reality 3D visualization.

Despite the successful operation in Chile, the AI autonomous camera feature is not yet cleared by the FDA and is not currently available for sale in the United States.

Why it matters

Levita found the smartest possible wedge for AI in the operating room.

Fully autonomous robotic surgery—where an AI actually cuts or sutures tissue—faces immense clinical, ethical, and regulatory hurdles. By targeting the camera assistant role instead, Levita tackles a massive pain point without taking on the legal liability of active tissue manipulation.

For hospitals, procedures like gallbladder removals and bariatric surgeries are high-volume workhorses. Automating camera movement reduces surgical fatigue, shortens procedure times, and cuts operating room staffing requirements. In healthcare systems already stretched thin by staff shortages, that kind of efficiency translates directly to bottom-line savings.

That said, the road ahead is steep. Winning FDA clearance for autonomous camera control will require proving that the algorithm never loses track of instruments in messy, blood-filled, or smoke-obscured cavities. But if Levita can clear that regulatory hurdle, it proves that surgical autonomy doesn't need to replace the surgeon to completely change the operating room.