معرفی
Dr. Ayberk Acar serves as an Assistant Professor in Vanderbilt University's Department of Computer Science within the School of Engineering. He directs the Machine Automation, Perception and Learning (MAPLE) Lab and maintains a formal affiliation with the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering (VISE), positioning his work at the critical intersection of computer science and surgical innovation.
His educational foundation includes dual bachelor's degrees:
- BS in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (2022, Middle East Technical University) with Mechatronics minor
- BS in Business Administration (2021, Anadolu University)
Dr. Acar's research pioneers real-time surgical guidance systems through three interconnected thrusts: soft-tissue deformation modeling using learning-based algorithms, cognitive load assessment via eye-gaze tracking during robotic procedures, and intelligent camera viewpoint optimization for surgical navigation. This work directly addresses challenges in minimally invasive surgery through computer vision and robotics.
His publication record features clinically impactful work in surgical navigation, highlighted by the 2023 Engineering and Urology Society best paper award for endoscopic kidney surgery navigation research. This represents a growing trend toward translational computer vision applications in urological robotics.
Key recognition:
- Best Paper Award, Engineering and Urology Society (2023)
The lab maintains active NIH engagement through grant writing workshops and short talks, indicating ongoing federal funding pursuits. Dr. Acar currently seeks new graduate students to expand his surgical robotics research team, leveraging Vanderbilt's unique engineering-medicine integration through VISE partnerships.
The MAPLE Lab functions as a nexus for surgical AI development, with its physical and intellectual infrastructure embedded within Vanderbilt's engineering-medicine ecosystem to accelerate the deployment of robotic vision systems into clinical practice.
