Medical Intelligence Medizintechnik GmbH - InduROB project

The goal of the InduROB project was to create an easy-to-use, interactively applicable robotic system, providing features for robot control with high absolute accuracy.  The InduROB software should serve, as a platform, which can be used in any domain, where sophisticated robot control is required (patient inspection, surgery or even industry applications).

The key challenge within this project was to develop a general system platform, which allows easy integration of domain specific or customer specific functions via plug-ins and supports different types of robots or robot families using abstract interfaces. The development of InduROB required highly-qualified developers with specific knowledge in medical technologies and robotic.

 The core focus in the Technopark approach was to install a multi-skilled team in different fields (automation, medicine etc.),  combined with all the needed working and production resources to build up an integrated workflow over several disciplines:

• Technopark developed the project plan together with MedInt in an initial workshop. As a result the key requirements concerning developer skills and quantities, as well as the organisational structure and the time frame of the project were defined.


• Technopark recruited the programming team in close co-operation with MedInt and prepared the employment contracts. Furthermore, Technopark provided offices, research laboratories and the IT and communication infrastructure.
• MedInt managed and controlled the whole project development process.

The system requirement specifications were developed within a cross-functional team consisting of MedInt scientists and engineers, as well as the programming team. MedInt was fully responsible for the project management and system testing. The project management operated in Germany. The number of workshops, meetings and communications costs were reduced through the use of Internet-based communication technologies provided by Technopark.

After only 12 months of development time the InduROB general frame work and 5 functional modules were developed. In detail, the modules entailed.

HexCTRL – GUI application to control HexaPOD™ (developed by MedInt), used to precisely re-position patients during Computer Tomography.

FreeDOM – application, integrating the precise Automatic Target Positioning of HexaPOD with image-guided technology to create the most precise and complete automated delivery system available today.  Stereo tactic ultrasound images correlated with a CT-based treatment plan can be used to determine if any soft-tissue shift has occurred between the time of planning CT and actual real time patient set up. Optical tracking can be used to correct any patient offsets or motion during treatment. Any offset, shift or rotation that is revealed by these real time imaging processes can be auto-corrected by the sub-millimeter positioning capabilities of the HexaPOD.

DiffO – tool to detect object pose in space using external markers and 3D camera and/or 3D scanner, calculate deviation from target pose and visualise differences using 3D graphic.

RCProxy – provides connection to the robot controller via 10MB Ethernet TCP application interface and allows the application and RCProxy to be run on different machines. RCProxy allows 3rdparty GUI front ends to be used for robot control, providing well-defined interface for them.

As the first released product HexCTRL was certified in Germany and USA and is ready for distribution in clinics.
RCPRoxy was sold for Mitsubishi, where it’s used to automate industry operations.

The product releases of the InduROB project are market leaders in the robot control industry concerning uniqueness, accuracy and innovation.  Together with 50% lower development costs and a short development time the project enabled a quick and high ROI only a month after project launch. Due to the excellent and profitable project results the relationship between MedInt and Technopark is extended to a strategic partnership and an increase of the project budget and the programming force is planned for next year.