Medical Augmented Reality Summer School 2026
AI, Robotics and XR for Clinical Applications
The 6th edition of the Medical Augmented Reality Summer School (MARSS2026) will be held from April 20–29, 2026 in the Shenzhen Loop Area, China and at CAIR, Hong Kong, China.
- Location: Shenzhen Loop Area, China + CAIR Hong Kong, China
- Dates: April 20–29, 2026
- Application Deadline: March 2, 2026
- Contact: tum_han.li@tum.de
Organizers
- Prof. Dr. Hongbin Liu – Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), Hong Kong
- Prof. Dr. Nassir Navab – Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
- Prof. Dr. S. Kevin Zhou – University of Science and Technology of China (USTC)
- Prof. Dr. Jason Ying Kuen Chan – The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
About MARSS2026
From April 20th to 29th, 2026, the 6th edition of the Medical Augmented Reality Summer School will be held at the Shenzhen Loop Area in Shenzhen, China, in collaboration with the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Hong Kong, China, again bringing together the world’s experts in Medical AR, clinicians, companies and talented academic researchers from all around the world, fostering cooperation and pushing the boundaries of Medical Augmented Reality.
The focus of this year’s summer school will be the connection of Medical AR and Surgical Data Science and Robotics. MARSS26 is organized by a consortium of scientists and clinicians from institutions that are among the leading centers for cutting-edge research in Medical Augmented Reality, Computer Vision, and Computer Assisted Surgery.
In the MARSS26 hackathon, interdisciplinary teams consisting of participants from research, industry, and clinic will develop novel Medical Augmented Reality systems, supported by experienced surgeons and AR experts.
We actively promote diversity in terms of gender and region and provide a free registration award for selected students.
This event is endorsed by the MICCAI society and covered by the MICCAI Code of Conduct.
Application & Fees
MARSS 2026 is intended for students and researchers working at the intersection of Medicine, AI, Robotics, and XR. Applicants should have a basic understanding of these areas and be familiar with at least one relevant programming language and/or framework (e.g., Python, C#, Unity, ROS, PyTorch, AR/VR development frameworks). Clinicians and medical professionals are also welcome — no technical background is required, provided there is strong interest in technology-enabled clinical applications.
Please submit your application through the form below. The official registration deadline for technical researchers is March 2nd, 2026.
Your application will be reviewed, and you will receive feedback as soon as possible after the registration deadline. In case of acceptance, we will send you a personal link to finalize your registration. Your definitive participation is confirmed with the payment of the conference fee:
- 300 EUR (without accommodation) / 490 EUR (with accommodation) for technical and medical researchers
- 1220 EUR for industry participants (without accommodation)
For questions please contact tum_han.li@tum.de.
Hosting Institution
CAIR (Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics) is one of the two centers under Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, the only Direct Affiliated Institute established by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hong Kong. Established in 2019, CAIR is dedicated to integrate innovation in AI and healthcare. Centered around three key research areas — Multimodal AI Large Model, Embodied-AI Robotics, and Intelligent Sensing Technology — CAIR is one of the InnoHK centers in the AI cluster.
CAIR has established a high-caliber research team led by foreign academicians from Europe and the United States, national-level talents, and leading scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It has collaborated with top universities in the UK, Germany, France, and other countries to establish joint laboratories, and formed strategic partnerships with top-tier medical institutions across mainland China, Hong Kong, and internationally.
Schedule
First Week (April 20–25)
| Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:30–01:00 | Opening Ceremony – Welcome Professors Navab, Liu & Jason Chan | |||||
| 01:00–02:00 | Keynote: Prof. Nassir Navab TU Munich | Clinical Keynote: Prof. Danny Chan Division of Neurosurgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong | Clinical Keynote: Prof. Danny Chan & Prof. Jason Chan The Chinese University of Hong Kong | Keynote: Prof. Ren | Clinical Keynote: Prof. Dirk Wilhelm Klinikum rechts der Isar, TU Munich, Germany | Visit to MRC@Hong Kong Excursion to Medical Robotics Centre, Hong Kong |
| 02:00–03:00 | Lecture: Prof. Nassir Navab TU Munich | Keynote TBD | Keynote: Prof. Hideo Saito Department of Information and Computer Science, Keio University, Japan | Clinical Keynote: Prof. Greg Osgood Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA | Keynote TBD | |
| 03:00–03:30 | Coffee Break | Coffee Break | Coffee Break | Coffee Break | Coffee Break | |
| 03:30–04:30 | Keynote: Prof. Hongbin Liu CAIR, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Keynote: Prof. Nassir Navab TU Munich | Keynote: Prof. Qi Dou Department of Computer Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong | Keynote TBD | Keynote: Nissan Elimelech (Snke XR) General Manager, Snke XR | |
| 04:30–06:00 | Lunch Break | Lunch Break | Lunch Break | Lunch Break | Lunch Break | |
| 06:00–07:00 | Lecture: Unity 101 Introduction to Unity for Medical AR development | Lecture: Sonification Surgical sonification and audio applications in Medical AR | Lecture: Registration Image registration methods in Medical AR | Lecture: Interaction User interaction in Medical AR systems | Panel Discussion: Professors Navab, Danny Chan, Jason Chan, Osgood | |
| 07:00–08:00 | Hackathon – Kickoff | Lecture TBD | Lecture: Perceptual Visualisation | Lecture TBD | Hackathon | |
| 08:00–10:30 | Hackathon | Hackathon | Hackathon | Hackathon | ||
| 09:30–10:30 | Keynote: Clinical Session & Game – Intro Prof. Barach Prof. Paul Barach, Patient Safety & Medical Education | |||||
| 10:30–11:30 | Dim Sum & Posters – Icebreaker | Game Night | ||||
| 11:00–14:00 | Conference Dinner |
Second Week (April 27–29)
| Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01:00–02:00 | Keynote: Prof. S. Kevin Zhou University of Science and Technology of China, Suzhou | Keynote: Prof. Samuel Au | Keynote TBD |
| 02:00–03:00 | Keynote: Prof. De Momi | Keynote: Prof. Ka-Wai Kwok University of Hong Kong | Keynote TBD |
| 03:00–03:30 | Coffee Break | Coffee Break | Coffee Break |
| 03:30–04:30 | Hackathon | Keynote: Prof. Mark Billinghurst University of South Australia | Demo Day – Session 1 |
| 04:30–06:00 | Lunch Break | Lunch Break | Lunch Break |
| 06:00–10:30 | Hackathon | Hackathon | Demo Day – Session 2 |
| 08:00–10:00 | Demo Day – Session 3 | ||
| 10:00–11:30 | Closing Ceremony Award ceremony and closing of MARSS 2026 |
Impressions from MARSS2023
Keynote Speakers
Prof. Dr. Nassir Navab
Head of the Chair for Computer Aided Medical Procedures & Augmented Reality, Department of Computer Science, TU Munich
Prof. Dr. Hongbin Liu
Professor and Director, Centre for AI and Robotics, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Science, China
Prof. Dr. S. Kevin Zhou
Chair professor, and Executive Dean of the School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Suzhou, China
Prof. Dr. Mark Billinghurst
Chair professor at University of South Australia, and Director of the Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments
Prof. Dr. Russell Taylor
John C. Malone Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University, USA
Prof. Dr. Hideo Saito
Department of Information and Computer Science, Keio University, Japan
Prof. Dr. Vincenzo Ferrari
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, Università di Pisa
Siddarth Satish
Vice President, Digital Innovation for Surgical Technologies, Stryker
Nissan Elimelech
General Manager @ Snke XR
Prof. Bradley Nelson, MD
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Minnesota, USA
Paul Barach, B.Med.Sci, MD, MPH, Maj (Ret.), AUA
Professor, Anesthesiology/Surgery Critical Care Clinician-Scientist, Simulation, Chief Medical Officer, Strategy consultant, Disasters & Emergencies; Public Health Accreditation; Medical Device and AI start up advisor
Prof. Greg Osgood, MD
Chief, Orthopaedic Trauma, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, JHU Baltimore
Prof. Dirk Wilhelm, MD
Chirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikums rechts der Isar, TU Munich, Germany
Navid Navab
Associate Director in Responsive Media, Topological Media Lab, Concordia University, Montréal, Canada