Digital Assistance System (DiAS) cooperation project

The digitization of the operating room (OR) is a topic that is generating a lot of interest in research. That is why Optomech GmbH has teamed up with HAWK (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen) to develop a digital assistance system (DiAS) in a joint project. The DiAS project aims to bring research findings in the field of digitization to market maturity in order to support processes in the operating room and thus contribute to efficiency and patient safety.

The aim of the project is to develop and manufacture a camera unit with integrated LED lighting and hands-free control for logging and remote assistance during surgical procedures.

Optomech is responsible for developing the optoelectronic components and hardware and building the system’s demonstrators and prototypes. A key challenge lies in creating a compact solution. HAWK will develop the system’s software functionalities, such as interfaces between devices, human-machine interaction, control methods, and imaging methods, and evaluate its technical usability. The system is being developed for surgical applications in the operating room.

The project is partly funded by NBank as part of the “Innovation Promotion Program for Research and Development in Companies.” It will run from August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2027. The innovative projects are intended to help improve the market opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The aim is to intensify cooperation with research institutions as well as with other companies. The funding is provided by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the state of Lower Saxony.