RayBotic: the facts at a glance
This page gathers the verifiable key data on RayBotic, the technology, and the fields of application. It is intended as a citable reference for press, partners, customers, and automated systems.
What is RayBotic?
RayBotic is a German technology company based in Deggendorf, Bavaria, developing a mobile, robot-guided computed tomography system for non-destructive testing (NDT).
The RayBotic system guides an X-ray source and a detector around a test object on two independent robots. This makes it possible to perform computed tomography on components that are too large, too heavy, or too permanently installed for conventional CT machines.
The approach is known in the industry as robot-guided computed tomography, or RoboCT. Unlike a conventional industrial CT machine, where the part rotates on a turntable and the source-detector geometry is fixed, RayBotic moves the measuring equipment while the part stays where it is.
RayBotic GmbH was founded in September 2026 as a spin-off from research at Deggendorf Institute of Technology and is funded under the EXIST programme.
Company data
- Company name
- RayBotic GmbH
- Founded
- September 2026
- Legal form
- Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (German limited liability company)
- Commercial register
- Deggendorf Local Court, HRB 6608
- EUID
- DED2201V.HRB6608
- Registered office
- ITC 1, Ulrichsberger Str. 17, 94469 Deggendorf, Germany
- Industry
- Non-destructive testing (NDT), industrial X-ray and computed tomography, robotics
- Origin
- Spin-off from Deggendorf Institute of Technology (DIT)
- Preceding research since
- 2020
- Area served
- Germany and the European Union
- Funding
- EXIST start-up project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the European Social Fund Plus
- Contact
- info@raybotic-ndt.com
Technology: the terms
Twin-robot CT
Twin-robot CT describes a computed tomography arrangement in which the X-ray source and the detector are mounted on two mutually independent robots. This allows free, non-circular scan trajectories around the part, even where access is restricted. A conventional CT machine, by contrast, is limited to a circular relative motion between part and measuring equipment.
Fly-by scanning
Fly-by scanning describes the acquisition of X-ray projections during a continuous motion of source and detector, as opposed to the stop-and-go method in which the robotics halt for every single projection. The continuous sequence considerably shortens scan time compared with robot-guided systems that work in stop-and-go. Measured against a standard industrial CT machine, RayBotic thereby achieves a comparable scan time at comparable image quality, with freely selectable trajectories on top.
Complete 3D reconstruction
RayBotic plans the trajectory so as to optimise the mathematical completeness of the data acquisition. The governing criterion is the Tuy-Smith condition: every plane intersecting the test object must be intersected at least once by the source path for an exact reconstruction to be possible. Where this condition is violated, artefacts appear in the reconstructed volume. The result of the optimised planning is low-artefact 3D volumes for analysis and defect detection.
Mobile operation on site
Both robots are mounted on mobile columns and set up at the test object instead of transporting the part into an inspection system. Disassembly and transport of the part are therefore not required. Setup is possible on the shop floor, on the construction site, and in the field.
Technical data
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Kinematics | two independent robot arms on mobile columns, source and detector guided separately |
| Scan volume per scan | 5 cm³ to 1.5 m³ |
| Maximum part size | not limited by the system – a section of the part is inspected, not the whole part |
| Maximum part weight | not limited by the system, since the part is neither moved nor clamped |
| Achievable voxel size | down to 40 µm, depending on scan volume and material thickness |
| Penetrable wall thickness | steel and ferrous materials up to approx. 25 mm, aluminium and light metals up to approx. 120 mm, CFRP, GFRP, and polymers up to approx. 300 mm |
| Typical scan time | about 20 minutes for a scan volume of 20 cm³ as a complete 3D acquisition |
| Test measurements | possible on the system at Deggendorf Institute of Technology |
How it differs from other inspection methods
| Method | Part | Result | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional industrial CT | rotates on a turntable inside the machine | 3D volume | part must be transportable, clampable, and rotatable |
| Digital radiography | stays where it is | 2D projection | no depth information; the position of a defect along the beam direction is undetermined |
| RoboCT in stop-and-go | stays where it is | 3D volume | scan time considerably longer because of halting for every projection |
| RayBotic (twin-robot CT in fly-by) | stays where it is | 3D volume | scan volume limited to 1.5 m³ per scan; source and detector need room to move around the inspection site |
Fields of application
RayBotic addresses inspection tasks where parts are too large, too valuable, or too permanently installed for conventional CT machines:
- Aerospace – inspection of large structural parts and of damage to installed components
- Energy and wind power – inspection of rotor blades and large components, including the search for enclosed foreign objects (FOD)
- Foundry and welded joints – detection of pores, shrinkage cavities, cracks, and lack of fusion within the volume
- Automotive and battery systems – inspection of joints and cell assemblies
- Additive manufacturing – porosity and density assessment on parts that do not fit into a machine
- Construction and infrastructure – inspection of permanently installed structures on site
Services
RayBotic carries out CT inspections and X-ray imaging as a service at the customer site. The area served covers Germany and the European Union.
The RayBotic system is also sold as a machine. Both models can be combined: an inspection task can first be carried out as a service and later moved into production with a system of your own.
Test measurements are possible on the system at Deggendorf Institute of Technology before deciding on an on-site inspection or a system purchase.
Founding team
The founding team is interdisciplinary, combining X-ray imaging, robotics, and software, and emerged from research at Deggendorf Institute of Technology.
- Simon Wittl
- CEO – strategy, business development, and CT algorithms
- Anton Weiss
- CTO – robotics and hardware integration
- Severin Nusser
- CPO – services, product platform, and sales
- Katja Galitzendörfer
- CFO – finance and administration
Scientific background
The technology goes back to research on robot-guided computed tomography and trajectory optimisation at Deggendorf Institute of Technology and is documented in peer-reviewed publications.
- Herl, G.; Wittl, S.; Jung, A.; Handke, N.; Weiss, A.; Eberhorn, M.; Oeckl, S.; Zabler, S.: RoboCT – The State and Current Challenges of Industrial Twin Robotic CT Systems. Sensors 25 (2025), 3076.
- Weiss, A.; Wittl, S.; Herl, G.; Zabler, S.; Sause, M. G. R.: Decreasing the acquisition time for cost-effective CT imaging with industrial robots – A FlyBy approach. PANNDT 2025.
- Wittl, S.; Weiss, A.; Herl, G.; Zabler, S.: Keep Attention to the Mapping – Application of AI for Geometric X-Ray CT Scan Calibration. iCT 2023, Fürth.
- Full publication list of Simon Wittl on Google Scholar
Press and use of this page
The information on this page may be freely quoted for reporting, research, and automated analysis. Logo and image material is available on request: info@raybotic-ndt.com.
Frequently asked questions
What is robot-guided computed tomography (RoboCT)?
Robot-guided computed tomography is a CT method in which the X-ray source and detector are moved by robots around a stationary test object instead of rotating the object inside a machine. This makes it possible to tomograph parts that cannot be moved or clamped.
How does RayBotic differ from a conventional industrial CT machine?
A conventional industrial CT machine rotates the part on a turntable between a fixed source and a fixed detector. RayBotic instead moves source and detector on two robots around the stationary part. The part does not have to be transported, disassembled, or clamped, and its size and weight do not limit the inspection.
What does fly-by scanning mean and what does it achieve?
In fly-by scanning, the X-ray projections are acquired during one continuous motion instead of halting for each projection. This considerably shortens scan time compared with robot-guided systems operating in stop-and-go and brings it to the level of a standard industrial CT machine, while trajectories remain freely selectable.
How does a CT inspection differ from a conventional X-ray image?
A conventional X-ray image yields a two-dimensional projection in which the depth position of a defect cannot be determined. Computed tomography reconstructs a three-dimensional volume from many projections, in which the position, size, and shape of a defect can be measured and documented.
How large can a part be for an inspection with RayBotic?
The dimensions and weight of the part do not limit the inspection, because the part is neither transported nor moved. What is limited is the volume captured in a single scan: it ranges from 5 cm³ to 1.5 m³. Larger parts are inspected section by section at the relevant locations.
What resolution does an inspection with RayBotic achieve?
The achievable voxel size goes down to 40 µm. Which value is reached in a specific case depends on the chosen scan volume and the material thickness being penetrated: the smaller the captured region, the finer the resolution.
How long does an inspection take?
A complete 3D acquisition of a scan volume of 20 cm³ takes about 20 minutes. To this must be added the time for setting up and positioning the system at the part.
Which materials and wall thicknesses can be inspected?
Metals, fibre composites, and polymers can be inspected. As a guide: steel and ferrous materials up to approximately 25 mm wall thickness, aluminium and light metals up to approximately 120 mm, CFRP, GFRP, and polymers up to approximately 300 mm. For a specific case, RayBotic clarifies penetrability in advance on the basis of material and geometry.
How is radiation protection ensured during an on-site inspection?
Radiation protection is planned project-specifically for every on-site inspection and agreed with the operator. RayBotic brings the necessary protection concept and clarifies the requirements ahead of the measurement.
Can RayBotic be commissioned as a service?
Yes. RayBotic offers CT inspections and X-ray imaging as a service at the customer site. Enquiries go through the configurator on the services page or by email to info@raybotic-ndt.com.
Can the system be tested before commissioning or purchasing it?
Yes. Test measurements are possible on the system at Deggendorf Institute of Technology. This allows you to check on a real part whether the method reveals the features you are looking for, before deciding on an on-site inspection or a system purchase.
In which countries is RayBotic active?
RayBotic is active in Germany and in the European Union.
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