Software from CIIRC CTU Enables Welding Without Complex Programming and Responds to the Trend of Custom Manufacturing
One of the long-term goals of research at the Czech Technical University in Prague is to translate cutting-edge scientific knowledge into practical solutions for industry. The latest example is the creation of the spin-off company RoboX, which develops software that significantly simplifies robotic welding. Thanks to automation and the use of CAD data, it enables the adoption of robotic welding even for companies for which it has previously been financially or technically inaccessible.
The technology was developed at the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC CTU), which has a long-standing focus on applied research and smart industrial solutions. To allow the already developed solution to be further advanced and deployed in a commercial environment outside the university, a separate spin-off company was established. RoboX was founded by Vladimír Smutný and Pavel Krsek, experts from CIIRC CTU with extensive experience in industrial robotics, automation, and machine vision. They were joined by their long-time collaborator Petr Farkavec, who will focus on the company’s business development.
A Response to Industrial Transformation: From Mass Production to Custom Manufacturing
While large-scale robotic welding is now technologically well established, small-batch and custom production remain a major challenge. These require frequent reprogramming and close collaboration between robot programmers and manufacturing engineers, both of whom are in short supply and costly.
“The RoboX software addresses this problem,” says Vladimír Smutný, adding: “It enables fast and intuitive input of welding tasks directly from a CAD model and automatically generates the resulting welding process. Production preparation is reduced from weeks to hours, often literally to just a few clicks, eliminating the need for complex manual programming.” As a result, robotic welding becomes accessible even to companies that could not previously afford their own robotic workstations, opening the door to increased competitiveness.
A Spin-off Supported by CTU Technology Transfer
The establishment of RoboX was significantly supported by the CTU Technology Transfer Center, which provided the founders with legal, licensing, and business support and guided them through the entire company formation process. The university’s support does not end with the company’s creation—CTU will continue to actively assist RoboX in its further development and in negotiations with its first customers.
“The support from the Technology Transfer Center was crucial for us. It allowed us to focus on further development of the technology, while CTU experts handled the legal and administrative aspects of setting up the company,” explains Vladimír Smutný.
“We are already preparing meetings with the first major customers in the Czech Republic who have expressed preliminary interest in the technology,” adds Roman Polák from the CTU Technology Transfer and Fundraising Office.
From Academic Research to Real Industrial Impact
Robotic welding is a key process in the automotive, aerospace, and engineering industries. Precision, repeatability, and quality are essential—and RoboX software can significantly improve all of these parameters, especially in flexible and custom manufacturing environments.
The creation of RoboX confirms that academic research at CTU has the potential to generate technologies with real economic and societal impact, and that systematic support for technology transfer is key to their successful commercialization.
