EndoMapper · Project

GPS-Like Navigation for Endoscopes Using Only Standard Camera Video

healthPrototypeTRL 4

Imagine a doctor navigating inside your colon with a camera but having no map — like driving in a foreign city without GPS. EndoMapper built the technology to create a real-time 3D map of what the endoscope sees, so the doctor always knows exactly where they are inside the body. It uses the same kind of AI that self-driving cars use for navigation, but adapted for the unique challenge that organs move and deform. The result is augmented reality overlays that can show a surgeon exactly where a tumour is, or guide a biopsy needle to the right spot with millimetre accuracy.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries in consortium (ES, FR, UK)

project deliverables produced

working demonstrators built

25%

industry participation ratio

years of research (2019-2024)

The business problem

What needed solving

Endoscopes today operate blind — surgeons see live video but have no map, no GPS, and no way to precisely relocate a spot they saw earlier. This means biopsies can miss targets, follow-up procedures waste time re-searching for known lesions, and minimally invasive surgery lacks the spatial precision that external imaging provides. Companies building endoscopy equipment or surgical robots need real-time mapping technology to make their devices smarter.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered 15 outputs including a final demonstrator showing real-time mapping from endoscopic video and an intermediate proof of concept identifying key technical barriers. The core technology combines geometric computer vision with deep learning to create deformable 3D maps from standard monocular endoscope footage — no special hardware required.

Audience

Who needs this

Endoscopy equipment manufacturers (Olympus, Fujifilm, Pentax Medical)Surgical robotics companies building minimally invasive platformsMedical AI software companies developing computer-aided detection toolsHospital systems investing in augmented reality surgical navigationPharmaceutical companies needing precision drug delivery systems

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Medical Device Manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Endoscopy equipment manufacturers (e.g. companies making colonoscopes, gastroscopes)

If you are an endoscopy device maker struggling to differentiate your products in a competitive market — this project developed real-time 3D mapping software that works with standard monocular endoscopes. It adds augmented reality navigation as a pure software upgrade to existing hardware, showing surgeons the exact location of tumours detected in prior imaging. The technology was validated over 5 years with 4 partners across 3 countries and produced 15 deliverables including a working final demonstrator.

Surgical Robotics

mid-size

Target: Companies developing robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery platforms

If you are building surgical robots that need spatial awareness inside the body — this project created deformable visual SLAM technology that maps and tracks position inside living tissue in real-time. Your robots currently rely on the surgeon's spatial memory; EndoMapper gives them an actual map. The consortium included 1 industry partner alongside 3 universities, specifically designed to bridge research and application.

Medical AI Software

SME

Target: Companies developing computer-aided detection and diagnosis tools for gastroenterology

If you are a medical AI company whose polyp detection algorithms flag findings but cannot tell the doctor how to find them again — this project built localization technology that pins detected findings to a 3D map of the patient's anatomy. Combined with your detection AI, it creates a complete system: find it, map it, navigate back to it. The team produced 2 dedicated demonstrators proving the concept works on real endoscopy sequences.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or integrate this mapping technology?

Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not disclosed. The technology was developed under an EU RIA grant by Universidad de Zaragoza and 3 partners. Licensing negotiations would go through the university's technology transfer office — RIA projects typically allow partners to retain IP on their contributions.

Can this work at industrial scale across thousands of procedures per day?

The project objective explicitly targets real-time performance using only the video stream from a standard monocular endoscope — no additional hardware. This means scaling requires only software deployment. However, the current demonstrator is a research prototype, and clinical-grade reliability across diverse patient anatomies would need further validation.

Who owns the intellectual property?

Under EU RIA rules, IP belongs to the consortium partners who generated it. The coordinator is Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain), with partners in France and the UK. The consortium includes 1 industry partner and 1 SME, who likely hold IP on application-specific developments. Specific patent filings would need to be verified with the coordinator.

Does this require special endoscopy hardware?

No. The project objective states it uses only the video stream supplied by a standard monocular endoscope. This is a software-only solution that works with existing equipment, which dramatically lowers the adoption barrier for hospitals and device manufacturers.

How far is this from clinical use?

The project ran for 5 years (2019-2024) and produced a final demonstrator and an intermediate proof of concept. However, it was funded under FET Open (Future and Emerging Technologies), which targets breakthrough research rather than near-market innovation. Clinical validation, regulatory approval, and productization would be the next steps before hospital deployment.

What regulatory path would this need?

As a software tool that assists surgical navigation, this would likely fall under medical device regulations (EU MDR Class IIa or IIb depending on intended use). The project focused on the underlying technology rather than regulatory preparation. Any company licensing this would need to build the regulatory dossier for their specific application.

Consortium

Who built it

The EndoMapper consortium is research-heavy: 3 out of 4 partners are universities, with just 1 industry partner (which is also the only SME). The team spans 3 countries — Spain, France, and the UK — with coordination led by Universidad de Zaragoza. The 25% industry ratio is below average for projects targeting near-term commercialization, which aligns with its FET Open funding (frontier research). For a business looking to license this technology, the university-led consortium means IP negotiations will go through academic tech transfer offices, which can be slower but often offer more flexible terms than corporate licensors. The presence of 1 industry partner suggests at least some market awareness was built into the research from the start.

UNIVERSIDAD DE ZARAGOZACoordinator · ES
UNIVERSITE CLERMONT AUVERGNEparticipant · FR
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDONparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain — reach out through their technology transfer office or the project website contact page

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSIDAD DE ZARAGOZA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the EndoMapper research team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people and prepare a tailored brief on how this technology fits your product roadmap. Contact us to get started.

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