SPIRIT · Project

Software That Cuts Inspection Robot Setup Costs by 80%

manufacturingPilotedTRL 7

spirit-h2020.eu

Setting up a robot to inspect car parts or airplane components is incredibly expensive and time-consuming — every new product means reprogramming from scratch. SPIRIT built a software system that lets you configure an inspection robot instead of programming it, kind of like going from writing code to using drag-and-drop. You feed in a 3D model of your part, and the software automatically figures out how the robot should move to inspect every surface. Three real factories in automotive and aerospace tested it and confirmed it works.

By the numbers

80%

Reduction in engineering costs and effort for inspection robot deployment

600-1000

Additional robotic installations per year enabled by the technology

2 years

Estimated time to return on investment for project partners

EUR 3,145,640

Total EU contribution to the project

Partners in the consortium across 3 countries

Industrial demonstration sites with evaluation reports

The business problem

What needed solving

Programming industrial robots for quality inspection is one of the most expensive and time-consuming steps in factory automation. Every new product, every new part geometry, and every change in the production line means starting the programming from scratch. This bottleneck keeps many manufacturers — especially SMEs — from adopting robotic inspection, even when manual inspection is slower, less reliable, and more costly.

The solution

What was built

SPIRIT delivered a complete software system with two main components: an offline planning tool that automatically generates robot inspection programs from 3D CAD models, and an inline execution engine that maps 2D sensor data onto 3D object models during inspection. Three industrial demonstrations were completed at automotive and aerospace end-user sites, each with formal evaluation reports.

Audience

Who needs this

Automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers running robotic quality inspectionAerospace composite manufacturers needing non-destructive testingRobot system integrators selling inspection solutionsSME manufacturers wanting to adopt robotic inspection without heavy programming costsNon-destructive testing service providers looking to automate with robots

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers running quality inspection lines

If you are an automotive manufacturer dealing with expensive, time-consuming robot programming every time you introduce a new part — this project developed a configuration-based inspection system that reduces engineering costs and effort for robot deployment by 80%. It was demonstrated at CRF (Fiat Research Centre) on real automotive use cases. The consortium estimates 600 to 1000 additional robotic installations could be realized per year with this technology.

Aerospace manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Aerospace component manufacturers and MRO providers

If you are an aerospace manufacturer struggling with complex non-destructive testing of composite parts — this project developed software that automatically plans sensor coverage on complex 3D geometries and generates robot programs. It was demonstrated at FACC, an aerospace composites manufacturer, and validated with ultrasound inspection technology. The system maps 2D sensor measurements onto 3D object models automatically.

System integration and robotics

SME

Target: Robot system integrators and inspection technology providers

If you are a system integrator losing margin on custom robot programming for every new inspection job — this project built a generic software platform with exchangeable process models, CAD interfaces, and work-cell configurations. The consortium specifically designed it to enable SMEs to address larger markets beyond their regional focus by reducing the risk and cost of deploying inspection robots.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much does this technology cost to implement?

The project received EUR 3,145,640 in EU funding across 8 partners over 3.5 years. The consortium estimated a return on investment within about 2 years of deployment. Specific licensing or implementation costs are not published in the available project data.

Can this work at industrial scale in a real factory?

Yes. Three industrial demonstrations were completed — at CRF (automotive), FACC (aerospace), and BSTG — each with dedicated evaluation reports. The consortium estimates the technology could enable 600 to 1000 additional robotic inspection installations per year across industries.

What is the IP and licensing situation?

The project consortium includes 5 industrial partners and 2 research organizations. Based on available project data, IP arrangements are governed by the consortium agreement. Interested companies should contact the coordinator PROFACTOR GMBH to discuss licensing options.

What inspection technologies does it support?

The system uses a generic interface that allows exchanging process models for different inspection technologies. The project specifically worked with ultrasound-based inspection. The modular design means other sensor types can be integrated by swapping the process model.

How long does it take to set up an inspection for a new part?

The project claims an 80% reduction in engineering costs and effort compared to traditional robot programming for inspection tasks. Instead of programming from scratch, operators configure the system by providing the CAD model of the part and selecting the inspection technology. Exact setup times are not specified in the available project data.

Do we need special robots or hardware?

The software includes a generic work-cell model interface that supports different kinematic structures, meaning it can adapt to various robot types. Based on the consortium composition including multiple technology providers, the system is designed to work with standard industrial robots and existing sensor equipment.

Consortium

Who built it

The SPIRIT consortium is strongly industry-driven: 5 out of 8 partners are industrial organizations (62%), with 2 SMEs, spanning Austria, Germany, and Italy — three of Europe's strongest manufacturing economies. The coordinator PROFACTOR GMBH is an Austrian applied research organization with direct industry ties. The three end-users come from automotive (CRF/Fiat) and aerospace (FACC), giving the technology immediate validation in high-value sectors. With only 1 university partner, this is clearly an execution-focused team built to deliver deployable results, not academic papers.

PROFACTOR GMBHCoordinator · AT
CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT SCPAparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVAparticipant · IT
MARPOSS SOCIETA PER AZIONIparticipant · IT
VOESTALPINE BOHLER AEROSPACE GMBH & CO KGparticipant · AT
IT+ROBOTICS SRLparticipant · IT
FACC OPERATIONS GMBHparticipant · AT

How to reach the team

PROFACTOR GMBH is an applied research organization based in Austria. Use Google AI Search to find the project coordinator's contact details.

Order a report on this consortium See PROFACTOR GMBH profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the SPIRIT team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right person at PROFACTOR GMBH and help you evaluate if this technology fits your inspection workflow.

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