Hackathons spark new features and improvements for Planmeca Romexis®

Each year, a two-day hackathon event brings Planmeca Romexis® team members together to innovate new solutions and enhancements for the Romexis software. Over this period, team members are free to explore new ideas and technologies, enhance the performance of existing code, develop usability innovations, or create prototypes based on fresh concepts. Beyond programming, participants can also investigate new methods for producing tutorial videos or discover ways to improve operational performance or efficiency.

In the weeks leading up to the event, the team compiles a list of engaging themes, from which each member selects a topic for their individual or group project. Artificial intelligence has been a prominent focus in the past, serving as the basis for various projects from one or more groups on multiple occasions. Another recurring theme is cloud technology.

At the end of the hackathon, the team comes together to present their projects and discuss potential development needs and opportunities for promising ideas and processes that emerged during the event.

“Some of the hackathon innovations are immediately added to the product development roadmap, while others remain in our backlog for potential future projects. Occasionally, after two days of hacking, we find that a topic or solution, no matter how interesting it may be, is not suitable for further development within our context. This was the case with augmented reality (AR), for instance. Nonetheless, we always gain valuable insights from these exercises,” tells Helianna Puhlin-Nurminen, Director of Digital Imaging and Applications at Planmeca.

On the other hand, internal hackathons have also proven the feasibility of certain ideas and products, even when there was initial doubt before the development of the first prototype. This was the case, for example, with an AI-powered implant planning feature, which is now in the backlog for future development projects.

Facilitating product development

Many of the new Romexis tools and features have originated from internal hackathons. For instance, the concept and initial prototype of Planmeca Romexis® VR solution for viewing 3D images in virtual reality was developed during a hackathon. The simulation of orthognathic surgery outcomes using a 3D facial photo, which enables clinicians to show patients how they will look after surgery, also emerged from a hackathon. Additionally, some exciting new features set to launch at next year's IDS are also the result of these events.

“Hackathons have proven to be beneficial for our team in many ways. In addition to product improvements and new features that benefit Planmeca customers, we have generated new ideas to enhance the efficiency of our operations. Since product development processes are usually tightly scheduled with constant deadlines, I feel it is crucial for our experienced and skilled software team members to take a break from the pressures of upcoming software releases. This two-day opportunity allows them to recharge their creativity, showcase their talents, and develop new innovations. Based on our experience, this creates a genuine win-win situation that benefits both the company and our employees, and ultimately enhances our products for Planmeca customers,” tells Puhlin-Nurminen.

Text: Mari Suominen
Images: Dino Azinur