← Selected WorkNiccolò Fenili Carravetta03 / 06
Flagship case study2025

Medtronic

Medical / AR / Realtime Development

  • Unity 6
  • Vuforia
  • C#
  • Tablet / iOS / Android
Medtronic project cover artwork
01Project overview

High-precision AR for a thoracolumbar training workflow.

Through UpSurgeOn, I worked on a Medtronic surgical-training application involving a complete migration from Unity 2022.3 and AR Foundation to Unity 6 and Vuforia Engine.

The application required reliable, high-precision augmented- reality tracking for thoracolumbar spine training workflows on tablet and iOS hardware.

Context
UpSurgeOn for Medtronic
Platform
Tablet / iOS
Focus
AR tracking + realtime systems
UpSurgeOn ThoracolumbarBox simulator presentation
01

Thoracolumbar simulator context

02The migration

A new engine version—and a new tracking architecture.

The work moved the application from Unity 2022.3 with AR Foundation to Unity 6 with Vuforia Engine. This was not only a version upgrade: the underlying AR tracking system changed with it.

Original systemUnity 2022.3AR Foundation
Migrated systemUnity 6Vuforia Engine

Engine migration + AR tracking architecture change

03AR tracking architecture

Two target systems resolve into one tracked reference.

Image Target and Model Target tracking support the relationship between the simulator, the tracked tool and the application’s realtime spatial reference.

01Image TargetReference signal
02Model TargetSpatial reference
Tracked systemSimulator + toolSimultaneous target support
Public-safe green simulator prototype framed by the AR application
02

Simulator marker framing

Operation-side and device-position configuration interface
03

Operation-side configuration

04Precision + anti-drift

Tracking stability is the central technical requirement.

The system targeted sub-millimeter precision in 3D tracking and used simultaneous Image Target and Model Target tracking as an advanced anti-drift approach.

Sub-millimeter3D tracking precision

2 targetsImage + Model anti-drift system

Tool and simulator targets shown in a not-tracked state
04

Tool target / not tracked

Tool and simulator targets shown in a tracked state
05

Tool target / tracked

05Calibration system

Tool and simulator resolve into a shared alignment.

Automatic tool-to-simulator calibration was implemented with a tolerance below 1 mm. The diagram describes only the verified relationship between the tool, calibration step and simulator reference.

Tool
AutomaticCalibrationTolerance below 1 mm
Simulator reference
06Multi-camera realtime system

Three coordinated views, optimized for the application.

The realtime system included Simulator View, Top View and Side View, with rendering optimized for the target tablet experience.

  1. 01Simulator View
  2. 02Top View
  3. 03Side View
Mobile X-ray interface with a needle and lateral spine view
06

Needle setup / lateral view

Mobile X-ray interface with a thoracolumbar tap selected
07

Tap selection / lateral view

07Surgical pivot tracking

Rotation stays anchored to the tool tip.

Pivot tracking supported precise rotation around the surgical tool tip without unwanted slippage. The visual below isolates that verified behavior as a simple geometric relationship.

Surgical pivot tracking diagramA tool rotates around a fixed tip while the pivot point remains aligned.
Fixed tool tipControlled rotation arcNo unwanted slippage
08Mobile X-ray application

The supplied interface material, presented without inference.

The public screenshots show simulator framing, tracked and not-tracked target states, tool selection, X-ray-related views and operation-side configuration. No behavior beyond the visible material is implied.

Mobile X-ray simulator and top-view composition
08

Simulator and top-view composition

Mobile X-ray interface showing multiple fixation tools
09

Fixation tools / multi-view

Mobile X-ray interface with rotated thoracolumbar view
10

Rotated thoracolumbar view

Mobile X-ray application running on a tablet with simulator and three views
11

Mobile X-ray / tablet presentation

09My contribution

Engineering, tracking and realtime presentation.

The contribution is presented as a factual capability map, with no self-rating or unsupported performance claims.

  • 01C#
  • 02Vuforia AR
  • 03Model Target
  • 04Image Target
  • 05Shader development
  • 06Graphic optimization
  • 07Unity migration
  • 08Realtime tracking systems
10Technical context

A public-safe record of the system.

The portfolio documents the verified tools and architecture while keeping proprietary project material outside the public case study.

Verified stack

  • Unity 6
  • Unity 2022.3
  • C#
  • Vuforia Engine
  • AR Foundation
  • Model Target
  • Image Target
  • Shaders
  • Realtime rendering
ThoracolumbarBox simulator render
12

Thoracolumbar simulator

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Stryker2025 · Medical / AR / Realtime Development