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A robot arm holding a surgical instrument over a training torso

TEF-Health Robotics

Test. Validate. Accelerate.

Healthcare robotics, ready for the real world.

From prototype testing to clinical evidence, access a cross-European network of hospitals, research laboratories and robotics experts.

Tell us about your technology, intended use and development stage. TEF-Health Robotics will identify the most relevant expertise, facilities and evaluation pathway across the network.

Tell us about your robotics project Explore the TEF-Health robotics services

Picture: Berthet-Rayne et al., 2018, CC BY 4.0, cropped and tinted

From technology to evidence: testing robotics in healthcare.

Healthcare robotics face challenges that cannot be solved in the lab alone. Safety, clinical performance, human–robot interaction, usability, workflow integration and regulatory compliance all need to be addressed in the complexity of healthcare environments.

TEF-Health helps robotics SMEs test and validate their solutions in real and simulated hospital environments — physical and in-silico — combining technical, clinical, ergonomic and organisational perspectives.

One network. The expertise you need.

Access complementary European capabilities through one coordinated robotics network. Our partners bring together university hospitals, robotics and AI research, human factors, simulation, clinical research and regulatory expertise.

Challenge What we help you do Evidence you can build
Does it work in a hospital? Test performance, reliability, safety and workflow integration in representative environments. Technical and operational performance data
Will people use it? Involve surgeons, nurses, clinicians, patients or caregivers in design and evaluation. Usability, acceptance and human-factors evidence
Can it demonstrate clinical value? Design and support clinical investigations and clinical evaluation. Structured clinical evidence
Is it ready for market access? Support alignment with European regulatory requirements and relevant standards. Regulatory and quality documentation

Choose the pathway and services that fit your robot

  • Ergonomic testing
  • Clinical and safety assessment
  • Integration of end-user and medical-staff feedback
  • Regulatory support
  • Biomechanics and human–robot interaction expertise

Healthcare robotics: examples and use cases

  • HCLMobile logistics robot

    From simulated hospital to real deployment

    A robotised logistics system for surgical instruments was first evaluated through defined use cases, test scenarios and quantitative performance indicators. At Station H, testing reproduced hospital constraints such as corridors, doors, obstacles and human presence. The solution was then evaluated in real hospital conditions with healthcare professionals, combining engineering and ergonomics.

  • CHUGASurgical robotics

    Building multicentre clinical evidence

    After CE marking, Imactis sought broader evidence of clinical benefit for its electromagnetic-navigation solution for CT-guided interventional radiology. CHUGA supported a multicentre study across eight university hospitals, involving 450 patients and junior and senior radiologists. The results demonstrated significant clinical benefit.

  • IPN & CHUCTelemedicine robot / RoboH

    Generating clinical data for CE marking

    RoboH enables remote ultrasound examinations through robotic stations connecting clinician and patient. Its clinical investigation assesses diagnostic agreement, image quality, completeness of anatomical views, procedure time, technical success, usability, workload, participant experience and safety. The study is intended to generate clinical data supporting clinical evaluation and completion of CE marking.

  • POLIMISocial robot in nursing homes

    Adapting robotics to the realities of care

    An SME worked with POLIMI to adapt an existing robotic solution to healthcare. Nursing homes and expert panels helped identify user needs, relevant tasks and potential risks. The robot was then adapted and tested with particular attention to interaction with frail users and personal information.

  • CEAEMY exoskeleton + WIMAGINE BCI

    From TRL4 to clinical evaluation

    CEA integrated the EMY four-limb exoskeleton with the WIMAGINE brain-computer interface and carried out clinical evaluation with tetraplegic participants. The use case illustrates a pathway from early-stage technology through regulatory qualification and clinical evaluation, from TRL4 to TRL6.

Why work with TEF-Health?

  • Access a coordinated European network rather than a single testing site.
  • Combine clinical insight with robotics engineering, human factors, AI, simulation and regulatory expertise.
  • Test earlier in realistic or simulated environments before exposure to routine clinical workflows.
  • Generate structured evidence on safety, performance, usability, acceptance and workflow impact.
  • Support the pathway from prototype development through clinical evaluation and market readiness.

Have a robotics project to test or validate?

Tell us about your technology, intended use and development stage. TEF-Health Robotics will identify the most relevant expertise, facilities and evaluation pathway across the network.

Tell us about your robotics project Explore the TEF-Health robotics services