# Northern Digital

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**Northern Digital Incorporated** (**NDI**) is a Canadian medical measurement company based in [Waterloo](/source/Waterloo,_Ontario), [Ontario](/source/Ontario). The company was founded by Jerry Krist in 1981 at the [University of Waterloo](/source/University_of_Waterloo).[1] They have offices in [Hong Kong](/source/Hong_Kong) and [Germany](/source/Germany).

Northern Digital was acquired by [Roper Industries](/source/Roper_Technologies) in 2011.[2]

In 2012, Northern Digital acquired [Ascension Technology](/source/Ascension_Technology), a provider of 3D tracking technology.[3][4] The deal was approved by NDI's parent company, Roper Industries.[5]

## Product lineup

NDI's Product lineup includes: Optical Measurement Systems[6] including the Polaris (Flagship Model) the Optotrak and the Certus HD; Electromagnetic Tracking Systems[7] such as the Aurora and Wave; Laser Trackers[8] (ScanTRAK); and Reflective Marker Spheres[9] which are authorized 'Brainlab[10]' partner utilities.

## Medical sector

NDI's primary products are optical measurement systems used in surgery and other medical procedures.[1] The company's primary optical tracking tool, the '[Polaris](https://www.ndigital.com/medical/products/polaris-family/)', is used in many medical procedures including [Brain Surgery](/source/Brain_surgery), [Neurosurgery](/source/Neurosurgery), PET Procedures, Ear Nose & Throat Surgery, Medical Robotics Integration, [Spinal Surgery](/source/Spinal_surgery), Computer Assisted Therapy and I.G.R.T. ([Image-Guided Radiation Therapy](/source/Image-guided_radiation_therapy)).[11] The company's Wave Speech Research system is able to track minute movements in a child's mouth with the goal of developing better speech therapy protocols, particularly for children whose pathology involves [spasticity](/source/Spasticity), such as in [cerebral palsy](/source/Cerebral_palsy) patients.[12]

## Ascension Technology

In 2012, Northern Digital acquired [Ascension Technology](/source/Ascension_Technology), a provider of 3D tracking technology.

Ascension Technology was co-founded by Jack Scully and Ernie Blood in 1986.[13][14] The company was based in [Colchester, Vermont](/source/Colchester,_Vermont).[15] Jack Scully and Ernie Blood had previously created the digitizer used in the [Star Wars](/source/Star_Wars) series. One of Ascension's products was the Flock of Birds 3D tracking system.[14]

The Flock of Birds system uses DC magnetic tracking.[16]

In 1997, the price tag for one of the models of Ascension's wearable motion capture systems was over $30,000.[17]

One of Ascension's tracking systems was the LaserBIRD optical tracker, which was used as the 3D tracking in the U.S. Army's Virtual Cockpit Optimization Program (VCOP) for helicopter pilots.[18]

## Industrial sector

NDI has many tracking products designed for industries.[1]

## References

1. Walcoff, Matt (2008-01-05). ["Northern Digital sold"](http://news.therecord.com/Business/article/291165). *TheRecord.com*. Metroland Media Group, Ltd. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080107204953if_/http://news.therecord.com/Business/article/291165) 2008-01-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-03-25.

1. ["Roper Industries Completes Acquisition of Northern Digital Inc."](https://www.qualitydigest.com/inside/cmsc-news/roper-industries-completes-acquisition-northern-digital-inc-081911.html). *Quality Digest*. Retrieved 26 March 2024.

1. ["Roper Industries Acquires Ascension Technology"](https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/asc/roper-industries-acquires-ascension-technology). *Becker's Hospital Review*. Retrieved 26 March 2024.

1. Tishin, Alexander (2021-11-18). *Magnetic Materials and Technologies for Medical Applications*. Duxford Cambridge, MA Kidlington, OX: Woodhead Publishing. p. 298. ISBN 978-0-12-822533-2.

1. ["Medical device maker Northern Digital buys Vermont firm"](https://www.guelphmercury.com/business/medical-device-maker-northern-digital-buys-vermont-firm/article_aa5fb25e-5626-54cd-a41b-71f7343c27c9.html). *Guleph Mercury Tribune*. Retrieved 26 March 2024.

1. ["Products: Optical Measurement, EM Tracking, Laser Scanners"](https://www.ndigital.com/products/#optical-measurement-systems). *NDI*. Retrieved 2017-11-17.

1. ["Products: Optical Measurement, EM Tracking, Laser Scanners"](https://www.ndigital.com/products/#electromagnetic-tracking-systems). *NDI*. Retrieved 2017-11-17.

1. ["ScanTRAK - Measurement Sciences"](https://www.ndigital.com/msci/products/scantrak/). *Measurement Sciences*. Retrieved 2017-11-17.

1. ["Products: Optical Measurement, EM Tracking, Laser Scanners"](https://www.ndigital.com/products/#reflective-spheres). *NDI*. Retrieved 2017-11-17.

1. ["Medical Software and Hardware Innovators - Brainlab"](https://www.brainlab.com/en/). *Brainlab*. Retrieved 2017-11-17.

1. ["Applications - Medical"](https://www.ndigital.com/medical/applications/). Retrieved 2017-11-17.

1. ["Speech Machine May Help Kids With Cerebral Palsy"](http://www.utdallas.edu/news/2009/08/31-001.php). *The University of Texas at Dallas News Center*. The University of Texas at Dallas. 2009-08-31. Retrieved 2009-10-25.

1. ["Ascension Technology of Milton acquired by Roper Industries"](https://vermontbiz.com/news/2012/august/28/ascension-technology-milton-acquired-roper-industries). *Vermont Business Magazine*. 2012-08-28. Retrieved 2024-04-11.

1. Carlson, Wayne E. (2017-06-20). ["17.4 Interaction"](https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/graphicshistory/chapter/1-4-interaction/). The Ohio State University. Retrieved 2024-04-11.

1. Cutillo, Cat (2024-02-20). ["Alumni Spotlight: Jack T. Scully '69"](https://www.smcvt.edu/about-smc/news/2024/february/alumni-spotlight-jack-t-scully-69/). *Saint Michael's College*. Retrieved 2024-04-11.

1. Burdea, Grigore C. & Coiffet, Philippe (2017-11-01). [*Virtual Reality Technology*](https://books.google.com/books?id=hMQ8DwAAQBAJ). John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-119-48572-8. "A magnetic tracker that uses DC magnetic fields is the FLock of Birds produced by the Ascension Technology Co."

1. Matzer, Marla (1997-09-08). ["Animation's New 'Toon"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-08-fi-30014-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved 2024-04-11.

1. Arthur, Jarvis (Trey) J.; Bailey, Randall E.; Williams, Steven P.; Prinzel, Lawrence J.; Shelton, Kevin J.; Jones, Denise R.; Houston, Vincent E. (2017-02-01). "Review of head-worn displays for the Next Generation Air Transportation System". *Optical Engineering*. **56** (5). [doi:10.1117/1.OE.56.5.051405](https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.56.5.051405). [ISSN 0091-3286](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0091-3286)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Northern Digital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Digital) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Digital?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.