Tecnalia closes the year with a review of its projects. These include the international TRACEBOT project, which will develop a system for robotic manipulation, the KIRUHAP initiative to improve surgical technologies and the strategic Hazitek exOsasun.
TRACEBOT project:
Tecnalia has joined forces with 5 other European entities to develop a robotised handling system. This project, which has European funding, aims to create robots that learn from demonstrations by human operators. The project aims to solve one of the biggest problems facing medical robots: traceability. The new robotic systems will be able to understand what they perceive and do, verifying any manipulation and thus meeting the needs of the highly regulated healthcare industry. The project started in January this year and will end in March 2025.
Those interested in finding out more about the project and its partners can do so via the website that has been set up for this purpose:
tracebot.eu
KIRUHAP Initiative:
Tecnalia has set out to incorporate advanced telemanipulation and tactile feedback technologies into robotic surgery devices. Under the new premise that coordination between surgeon and teleoperated robot requires the interpretation of several different reference systems, the initiative aims to improve the information received by the robot, thus reducing the fatigue and mental workload of the professional.
Thanks to their experienced multidisciplinary team, they have been able to develop a new control model and improved feedback technology. These two aspects will allow what the professionals see and what they feel when handling the robot to be more accurate and in line with reality.
These findings will be key to the devices that several companies in the sector are currently developing in Gipuzkoa, enabling their implementation in more hospitals and generalising their use.
Hazitek Strategic 2020: exOsasun
The exOsasun project (Research into new generation exoskeletons for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace) aims to reduce musculoskeletal disorders, especially shoulder and lower back disorders. To this end, intelligent and highly customisable exoskeletons will be developed with a focus on ergonomics, which is key to the prevention of these disorders. The project will focus on the two sectors where there is most overexertion: social and health care centres and the metal-mechanical industry.
This Hazitek project led by the IMQ Group has 8 participants and is co-funded by SPRI (Basque Business Development Agency) and the European Commission (ERDF):
- GESTAMP GLA
- Gogoa Mobility Robots
- Grupo IMQ
- I3B
- Ibermática
- Ludus VR
- STT Ingeniería y Sistemas
- Tecnalia
- ZERMIK
About Tecnalia:
TECNALIA is a benchmark research and technological development centre in Europe and part of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), with 1,400 professionals of 30 nationalities, focused on transforming technology into GDP to improve people’s quality of life, thereby creating business opportunities for companies. Its main areas of activity are: Health, Digital Transformation, Advanced Manufacturing, Energy Transition, Sustainable Mobility and Urban Ecosystem.
The company develops personalised products and services in the stages of prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and rehabilitation, through a comprehensive approach that includes genetics, nutrition and the physical and social environment, the main variables that affect people’s health. In particular, it works in the fields of healthy eating, neuroengineering, biomaterials, medical robotics, digital health, in vitro diagnosis, medical imaging and pharmaceutical development.