DIH-HERO, the network consisting of several European digital innovation hubs for robotics in healthcare with the University of Twente (UT) as the coordinator, will be continued. The project has now led to the establishment of an organization, which is being expanded with new (care) organizations. The goal is clear: to use robots better and, above all, faster in healthcare. There will be a kick-off event on 6 March.
In recent years, the DIH-HERO partners have built up a large European network of parties active in healthcare robotics. Accelerating innovations and bringing robot solutions to the market faster were central from the start. With an open online portal full of knowledge and services, the platform brought together innovators, companies, healthcare users and policymakers. The University of Twente led the consortium of seventeen European partners for many years. Stakeholders include Prof. Francoise Siepel (Professor of Robotics), Maren Bödding (Senior Project Manager of European Research Projects) and Rogier de Haan (business developer Novel-T) from the UT.
'Even more impact'
"We are proud of this step from project to independent organization, so we can make even more impact. With the new foundation, we are building on the work that DIH-Hero has done in recent years," says Françoise Siepel. "We have developed technology and knowledge that capture the imagination, such as an autonomous ultrasound scanner in Denmark that is already being used in hospitals, and a vaccination robot that played a major role during the COVID-19 pandemic. These are steps that might otherwise take years. We ensure that national borders are blurred and that competences in Europe are used optimally."
Faster to clinical setting
The DIH-HERO consortium focused on a wide range of applications. For example, robots were developed for interventions, such as the targeted steering of needles during operations, and diagnostics, such as the aforementioned autonomous ultrasound scanner. Rehabilitation solutions, such as the GRIP project, which helps people with limited hand strength, and disinfection robots have also found their way into clinical settings. All with the help of DIH-HERO.
Another example is Heemskerk Innovation, an SME that developed robots with the support of DIH-Hero, such as a robot driving around with a manipulator arm. During COVID-19, prototypes of this robot were used to guide patients to the right places in hospitals or to perform small tasks such as cleaning up waste.
Future challenges and opportunities
According to Siepel, the challenges remain great. "Innovations in medical robotics still often take 15 to 20 years to reach the market. This is due to complex regulations and acceptance barriers. By joining forces within Europe, we can shorten that time. This prevents fragmentation of knowledge and speeds up implementation."
With the DIH-HERO platform, the focus remains on connecting companies, researchers, clinical centers and policymakers. "The future of care robotics is promising," says Siepel. "But if we don't work together, we will still face the same obstacles in ten years' time. For example, by combining rapid imaging techniques with robotic arms, oncological diagnostics and treatment can become faster and more accurate, to name just one example. The potential is enormous, but without joint effort we will be left behind."
