KUKA Innovation Award Honors Breakthrough Robotic Technology That Enhances Safety and Accuracy in Spinal Operations

KUKA Innovation Award Honors Breakthrough Robotic Technology That Enhances Safety and Accuracy in Spinal Operations

(IN BRIEF) Team ULTRATOPIA from KU Leuven and Balgrist University Hospital has won the KUKA Innovation Award 2025 for a medical-robotics solution that uses ultrasound-guided collaborative robots to increase the accuracy and safety of pedicle screw placement during spinal surgery. Presented at the MEDICA trade fair under the theme “Medical Robotics Challenge 2.0,” the winning system combines an ultrasound-equipped robotic arm with a robotic drilling arm, offering a non-radiative, precise alternative to conventional imaging methods. KUKA’s jury praised the approach for reducing surgical time, lowering patient risk, and supporting faster recovery. The innovation forms part of the EU-funded FAROS project and aims to minimize registration errors and compensate for natural physiological movement during procedures. As KUKA celebrates this year’s winners, it also announced the theme for the 2026 edition, which will focus on robotics solutions for sustainable packaging through the “Circular Packaging Challenge.”

(PRESS RELEASE) AUGSBURG / DÜSSELDORF, 19-Nov-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — A collaborative research team from Belgium and Switzerland has been named the winner of the KUKA Innovation Award 2025 for an advanced medical-robotics application that uses ultrasound to examine the spine during surgery. Their breakthrough solution, developed by Team ULTRATOPIA from KU Leuven and Balgrist University Hospital at the University of Zurich, impressed the international jury with its potential to make spinal procedures safer, faster, and less invasive.

Held under the theme “Medical Robotics Challenge 2.0,” this year’s award highlighted how robotics and intelligent technologies are reshaping medical practice — from operating theaters to rehabilitation facilities. During the MEDICA trade fair, five finalist teams showcased their concepts at the KUKA booth, presenting innovations focused on minimally invasive surgery, enhanced preventive care, and smarter robotic assistance. On the fair’s penultimate day, the jury selected ULTRATOPIA as the winning entry.

KUKA Vice President for Medical Robotics, Axel Weber, emphasized the clinical value of the winning concept, noting that the ultrasound-guided technique provides a non-invasive imaging method that shortens surgical time, reduces risks to patients, and can significantly improve recovery outcomes.

Team ULTRATOPIA’s work enhances the precision of pedicle screw placement (PSP), a critical technique used in spinal operations involving fractures, scoliosis, or degenerative disc conditions. Their solution integrates two collaborative robotic systems — one equipped with an ultrasound probe to monitor and guide the second robot responsible for drilling. This dual-robot method aims to reduce registration errors, compensate for physiological movements, and enable safer, more accurate placement of spinal hardware.

The team’s innovation forms part of the EU-funded FAROS project, which is focused on introducing non-radiative imaging technologies into spinal procedures. By moving away from traditional radiation-based guidance methods, the approach offers a meaningful leap forward in surgical safety and precision.

Looking ahead, KUKA announced that the Innovation Award will return in 2026 with a new theme: “Circular Packaging Challenge.” This upcoming edition will invite robotics-driven ideas addressing sustainability in packaging — from recycling and waste reduction to reimagining entire packaging processes for a circular economy.

Media contact:

Ulrike Götz
Spokesperson Technology
KUKA Aktiengesellschaft, Zugspitzstraße 140, 86165 Augsburg, Germany
+49 821 797-3795

KUKA Group
The KUKA Group is an international automation group with sales of around EUR 3.7 billion and around 15,000 employees. As one of the world’s leading suppliers of intelligent, resource-efficient automation solutions, KUKA offers industrial robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMR) including controllers, software, and cloud-based digital services, as well as fully connected production systems for various industries and markets such as automotive with a focus on e-mobility & battery, electronics, metal & plastic, consumer goods, food, e-commerce, retail, and healthcare. The KUKA Group is active in more than 50 countries with over 100 locations. The largest sites are in Germany, USA, China, and Hungary, with headquarters in Augsburg. The KUKA Group includes the plant engineering division KUKA Systems, the robotics division KUKA Robotics, Swisslog (intralogistics automation), Swisslog Healthcare (hospital and pharmacy automation) and the digital division KUKA Digital with the software specialists Visual Components and Device Insight.

SOURCE: KUKA