Tim Lueth's Research Page
Last change: Dec-18, 2025 by Tim C. Lueth
Prof. Tim Lueth – Research in Medical Robotics, AI, and Automated Design
Prof. Tim Lueth began his scientific career after completing his studies in 1989, focusing on neural networks, speech processing, and supervised learning. During his doctoral research (1989–1993), he specialized in Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM), followed by postdoctoral work (1993–1997) on autonomous mobile assembly and manipulation robots within the DFG Collaborative Research Center 314 “Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.”
Since 1997, as Professor of Medical Robotics and Navigation at Charité and Department Director at the Fraunhofer Institute IPK, Lueth pioneered the concept of hands-on robotic systems for surgical environments. His team developed the first certified tactile surgical robots for cranial operations (2000). The first commercially successful dental navigation system, RoboDent, was created in 2001 for Straumann AG. In 2003, his group realized the first 3D C-arm system (Vario 3D) for Ziehm Imaging.
Key collaborators during this period included Andreas Hein, Stefan Weber, Olaf Schermeier, and Ralf Tita. Clinical partners were Jürgen Bier, Martin Klein, Frank Hölzle, Ralf Sodian, Norbert Hosten, and Gero Strauss.
Since 2005, Lueth has been Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In 2006, his group developed the first ENT-dental navigation system for Karl Storz GmbH. In 2013, his research influenced developments later integrated into MAKO (Stryker).
Current Research Focus
- Generative AI for automated design, documentation, manufacturing, and certification of robotic systems
- Development of the SGLib design library for MATLAB (since 2012)
- Integration of MATLAB interfaces between SGLib and OpenAI services via API
- Automation of scientific workflows using AI
- Promotion of young researchers and encouragement of academic entrepreneurship
List of important videos of Tim Lueth and his research groups:
Navigated Augmented Video Endoscopy
Video 2016: Navigated Augmented Video Endoscopy with 45 degree Hopkins Endoscope (0:33 Min)
The rights of this video belong to ERGOSURG GmbH, Ismaning
Snake-Like Tele-Manipulator (Robot) for Minimally Invasive Surgery and NOTES
Video 2015: Multi-Arm Snake-Like Tele-Manipulator (Robot) for MIC and NOTES (3:02 Min)
Student Tutorial Video on Closing the Left Atrial Appendage
Video 2014: Tutorial by Eva Graf: Minimally-Invasive Closure of the Left Atrial Appendage (1:50 Min)
3D-Printing a 6DoF robot by lightweight structures (JACO Robot in SLS)
Video 2013: JACO Robot printed in 3D by Selected Laser Sintering (0.50 Min)
The rights of this video belong to ERGOSURG GmbH, Ismaning
Waypoint Guidance in Surgical Navigation (ENT)
The rights of this video belong to ERGOSURG GmbH, Ismaning
Surgical Navigation System for Dental Implants (RoboDent III)
Video 2008: Surgical Navigation System for Dental Implants (RoboDent III NPU)
3D Optical Tracking for Free Hand Spray Painting with Navigated Control - "NaviFitty"
Video 2006: NaviFitti - Free Hand Spraying of a 'Che Guevara' Picture (0:04 Min)
Navigated Control in Cranio Maxillofacial Surgery
Attention: The video is a real surgical video and shows bone structures and blood.
Video 2005: Removing a bone tumor by an automatic power switching drill/burr (0.20 Min)
Automatic Detection of Human Hand Gestures and Controlling the DLR Hand
This was the Ph.D. research of Dr.-Ing. Yuichiro Honda, today working at the Kobe Rehabilitation Laboratory, Hyogo, Japan.
Video 2007: Controlling the movements of the DLR hand by skin deformation measurement (0:11 Minutes)
Robotized Isocentric C-Arm as Cone-Beam CT "Robo-C"
The isocentric C-Arm became an important orthopedic product as "Instrumentarium/Ziehm Vario-3D"
Video 2003: Worldwide 1st cone-beam CT using a 135 deg c-arm with a dynamic isocenter (2:40 Minutes)
Surgical Navigation System for Dental Implantology "RoboDent"
RoboDent started as research project of Olaf Schermeier. At this time the Israeli company DenX offered a dental training system and Michael Truppe's company ARTMA was also developing a navigation system for maxillofacial surgery. Nevertheless, RoboDent was the highlight of the IDS 2001 in Cologne.
Video 2001: RoboDent worldwide 1st commercial successful dental navigation system (4:30 Minutes)
Redundant 7DoF Surgical Hands-on Manipulator "Otto 2"
OTTO-2 was based on a Mitsubishi PA10, a 7DoF redundant manipulator. The robot holds the drill and is (push/pull) by the surgen within a limited work space. The Video is featuring Andreas Hein, today full professor in Oldenburg, Germany.
Video 2001: Worldwide 1st redundant hands-on surgical robot at a spine phantom (0:45 Minutes)
Ceiling Mounted Delta-3 Surgical Robot "Otto von Decke"
OTTO von Decke based on a SurgiScope Delta-3 kinematics with 6DoF. It was the first clinical used "hands-on" robot. The video shows the clinical case of the first patient.
Surgeons and Engineers: "Surgical Robotics Lab" at Charité Berlin
The Surgical Robotics Lab was started by Juergen Bier (Chief Surgeon Maxillofacial Surgery) and Tim Lueth (Engineer/Computer Scientist) with support by Guenter Hommel.
Video 1997: Introduction of the Surgical Robotics Lab at Charité (6:50 Minutes)
Behaviour Based Cooperative Robot Systems "KACORS"
Even with almost no computational power and a primitive robot system, it was possible to create an assembly robot by connecting simple skills.
Video 1995: KACORS - Khepera based micro robot for assembly tasks (6 Minutes).
Autonomous Assembly Robot "KAMRO"
The robot KAMRO is located today at the Deutsche Museum in Munich. Nevertheless from 1992-1996, the robot was the highlight of the SFB 314 (Artificial Intelligence) in Karlsruhe, Kaiserslautern and Saarbrücken.
Even 20 years later, the video and the capabilities are astonishing.
Video 1994: Autonomous Assembly Robot KAMRO (5 Minutes - accelerated 5 times)
Video 1993: Autonomous Assembly Robot KAMRO (5 Minutes - accelerated 5 times)