As a multinational, NDI is represented with various specialist fields on several continents. You can find us at locations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Vital factors that secure our capacity to innovate – we pool diverse competencies and stay close to geographical markets. For a stable growth with strong contacts with the people who benefit from our products.

Human ingenuity. Human needs. Human benefits.
This is what unites us all at NDI: we help people by making innovative navigation solutions possible. And we intend to remain the preferred partner for all navigated applications in the future.

How it all started …
Northern Digital Incorporated was founded in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada in 1981.

In 1984, the basis for NDI’s 3D solutions was the development of our first system for the real-time measurement of human motion – the WATSMART system. Then, in 1990, NDI took it to the next level, entering a new era of high-precision measurement technology with Optotrak. The most significant breakthrough for the success of NDI came in 1996 with the first optical measurement system developed in close cooperation with top-tier medtech companies – the so called Polaris System.

Global market leader for optical measurement systems for customers in the medtech sector in just few years
Already in 2000, the Polaris System was by far the most frequently sold optical tracking system for customers in the medtech sector.

When it is to 3D tracking, medical technology companies around the globe trust NDI
Swiss startup Mednetix was integrated into the company in 2001. With its innovative electromagnetic technology, Mednetix provided an ideal addition to the NDI portfolio. This further boosted our leading market position. The establishment of NDI Europe in 2001 laid the foundations for European sales operations and the subsequent development of Aurora®. This created a new closeness to European customers.

Since 2002, NDI has also operated from a sales branch in Asia.

The affiliation between Ascension Technology Inc. (USA) and NDI in 2012 generates new synergies based on the longstanding experience and expertise of the two companies. For almost 10 years, NDI has been the world’s leading supplier of optical systems with the Polaris family, as well as of electromagnetic systems with the Aurora and Trackstar lines. This expertise drives innovative, future-oriented developments for our customers in the medtech sector.

Through continuous innovation in all our product families, NDI creates modern, digital solutions which are used by our customers for a wide variety of their medical applications.

Optical-EM-Polaris Brochure