Gold Award for Rudolfovo – An Innovation Transforming Quality Control in Manufacturing with Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

Rudolfovo, together with CNC Borštnar d.o.o. and 3D-ING d.o.o., received a gold award for one of the best innovations in the Posavje region in 2026. The awarded innovation, “Product quality control in small-batch production supported by artificial intelligence and robotics,” has also advanced to the national level of the awards for the best innovations of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.

The innovation represents a step towards more reliable and autonomous quality control in manufacturing. It combines artificial intelligence, robotics and 3D scanning, enabling automated quality inspection of products in environments where products frequently change and production batches are smaller and technologically more demanding.

An Innovation That Goes Beyond Conventional Automated Systems

Existing solutions for automated quality control generally require the prior preparation of measurement programs and manual settings for each new product. In small-batch production, where products often change, this can represent a significant obstacle.

The developed solution automates this step. Using artificial intelligence, the system creates a basic 3D model of the product from a photograph, recognises its shape and automatically determines the optimal scanning path. This enables faster implementation of quality control even for products that change frequently and represents an important shift from partially automated towards autonomous production processes.

Application in a Real Industrial Environment

The solution is used at CNC Borštnar for the inspection of complex metal components that are integrated into safety-critical systems. This type of inspection reduces the possibility of a non-compliant product reaching the customer, while also increasing the reliability of the production process.

For companies, the solution means fewer defects, fewer complaints, less rework, and savings in labour, materials and external measurement services. At the same time, it enables a higher level of confidence in product quality and greater competitiveness in demanding markets.

Rudolfovo’s Role

Rudolfovo contributed research and development expertise in the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D technologies and manufacturing digitalisation. Its researchers developed key algorithms for product recognition, planning optimal scanning paths and integrating individual technological components into a unified autonomous system.

Members of Rudolfovo’s innovation team included Assoc. Prof. Dr Vesna Pungerčar, Jakob Fabjan, Dr Slavko Arh, Karl Cerovšek and Kusai Almahamid.

Regional Cooperation with International Potential

The innovation was developed in cooperation between CNC Borštnar from the Posavje region, Rudolfovo from Novo mesto and the company 3D-ING. It represents an excellent example of connecting the regional economy with the research environment in the development of technologically advanced solutions.

The solution is particularly relevant for the metalworking, automotive, aerospace and other manufacturing industries, where product quality directly affects the safety, reliability and competitiveness of companies.

The gold award confirms that knowledge developed in a research environment can successfully address concrete industrial needs. At the same time, it strengthens Rudolfovo’s role as a partner in manufacturing digitalisation, the development of autonomous systems and the transfer of high-tech knowledge to the economy.