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Examining the spine during surgery using ultrasound: with this innovative medical robotics application, a team of researchers from Belgium and Swit-zerland impressed the jury of the KUKA Innovation Award 2025 and won the prestigious robotics competition.
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Robots and smart technologies are transforming medicine – whether in operating rooms or rehabilitation centers. They improve treatments, relieve the burden on specialists, and strengthen preventive care. That is why the KUKA Innovation Award 2025 was held under the motto “Medical Robotics Challenge 2.0.”
Throughout the MEDICA trade fair, the five finalist teams presented their concepts for gentler operations, better preventive medical checkups, and intelligent robotic assistants for medicine to an international audience of experts directly at the KUKA booth. On the penultimate day of the fair, an international jury selected the winning team.
Using ultrasound to examine vertebral bodies: We were impressed by the team's innovative approach. The method offers decisive advantages for clinical use. It is non-invasive and helps to significantly reduce operating time. This reduces risks for patients and noticeably speeds up recovery.
Pedicle screw placement (PSP) is a surgical technique used in spinal surgery to stabilize the spine in anatomically difficult environments. It is most commonly used for spinal fractures, scoliosis, and degenerative disc disease. Team ULTRATOPIA from KU Leuven in Belgium and Balgrist University Hospital at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, partners in the EU-funded FAROS project, has presented an advanced approach using collaborative multirobot systems. These improve the accuracy of PSP placement through non-radiative imaging.
The systems include a robotic arm equipped with ultrasound that monitors and guides the second robotic drilling arm during the procedure. This approach aims to improve the precision of PSP, reduce registration errors, and account for physiological movements to ultimately improve surgical outcomes.
Packaging is a key element of our modern economy – and the industry is facing radical change in this area. How can robotics help to make packaging more sustainable? KUKA sought creative and innovative ideas on this topic in the latest round of its Innovation Award. The motto for 2026: “Circular Packaging Challenge” – from recycling and waste prevention to the redesign of entire packaging processes.
