SlicerRoboTMS: An Open-Source 3D Slicer Extension for Robot-Assisted Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

2026-04-28

AI Summary

This work addresses the high barriers to entry in robot-assisted transcranial magnetic stimulation (Robo-TMS) research, which stem from the complex integration of medical imaging, computer vision, and robotics, as well as the absence of a unified open-source platform. To overcome these challenges, the authors present SlicerRoboTMS, an open-source extension built on 3D Slicer that establishes the first integrated interactive infrastructure specifically designed for Robo-TMS. The framework incorporates MRI-guided neuronavigation, standardized robotic communication protocols, and configurable system descriptions, enabling flexible integration with diverse hardware platforms and rapid prototyping. By significantly reducing the complexity of multidisciplinary system integration, this toolchain enhances the reproducibility, scalability, and collaborative potential of Robo-TMS research.

Abstract

Robot-assisted Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Robo-TMS) is an image-guided robotic intervention that enhances the accuracy and reproducibility of conventional Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), a widely used non-invasive brain stimulation procedure in clinical treatment and neuroscience research. Despite its potential, the development of Robo-TMS remains challenging due to the need for multidisciplinary expertise spanning medical imaging, computer vision, and robotics. This paper presents SlicerRoboTMS, an open-source 3D Slicer extension that provides a unified interaction infrastructure for Robo-TMS research. By leveraging 3D Slicer's medical image computing and visualisation capabilities, the extension supports Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-based neuronavigation and interfaces with robotic systems through standardised communication protocols and configurable system descriptions. An example integration is presented to demonstrate how SlicerRoboTMS can be incorporated into a representative Robo-TMS workflow. Designed to support diverse hardware configurations and rapid prototyping, SlicerRoboTMS lowers the barrier to entry and facilitates reproducible and extensible research in Robo-TMS. The extension is available at https://github.com/OpenRoboTMS/SlicerRoboTMS.

Problem

• Robot-assisted Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
• multidisciplinary integration
• research reproducibility
• technical barrier
• neuronavigation

Innovation

• Robo-TMS
• 3D Slicer
• open-source
• neuronavigation
• robotic integration