Looks Like a Toilet Cubicle – But It’s Cutting Edge Technology
Telemedicine Cabin From Aachen Successfully Tested at Music Festival
A converted toilet cubicle being used as a high-tech medical station? Although it sounds unusual at first, it could save lives in the future. At 2025 Parookaville Festival in Weeze, a specially developed telemedicine cabin from Uniklinik RWTH Aachen was tested in real life for the first time as part of the KABINE research project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research – and it was a great success.
Around 100 festival visitors were treated in the cabin, which is equipped with numerous medical devices: including an examination camera, blood pressure monitor, clinical thermometer, oxygen saturation clip, ECG, a digital stethoscope and more. What makes it special is that all of its devices can be operated by laypersons – under the guidance of a doctor via a video transmission. It is quick and easy to use: The patient enters the cabin, takes a seat and they can speak to a doctor via video. The doctor will then guide them through the examination, one step at a time. All the data, such as vital parameters and live images is transferred directly to the medical software, where it is analyzed. If necessary, treatment can then be recommended, or a digital prescription can be issued.
A huge success – there were hardly any technical problems
During the festival, the cabin was used as part of the ambulance service to test the suitability of the technology under real-life conditions. The results were consistently positive:
“The patients were extremely satisfied – mostly because of the speed of the treatment, the modern technology, and the feeling of being well looked after,” reports Anna Müller, head of the study and senior engineer at the AcuteCare InnovationHub of the Department of Anesthesiology at Uniklinik RWTH Aachen.
“We were able to demonstrate that our solution works reliably even when it is being used frequently and when it is subject to heat, festival hustle and bustle, and time constraints. No significant technical failures occurred. This reinforces our belief that our system can also be used in crisis situations.”
The long-term objective is to use the technology in areas affected by disaster
In the future, the cabin is intended to be used in disaster or crisis regions – especially in the reconstruction phase after natural disasters or humanitarian crises when medical infrastructure has been destroyed. The telemedicine cabin is deliberately designed to be modular, robust, and mobile. It has its own solar power supply, a satellite connection, and it is designed to be able to operate autonomously for 24 to 48 hours. Thanks to standardized interfaces and intuitive operation, even people with no medical training can use the cabins and care for patients – as long as they are provided with remote medical support.
Research in action – not in an ivory tower
This extraordinary test run at one of Europe's biggest music festivals shows that innovations for emergency situations must be practical. The combination of medical expertise, engineering development and digital infrastructure makes the KABINE project a showcase project for modern disaster medicine. The results of the study are currently being evaluated, and they will be incorporated into the further development of the cabin and into carrying out other pilot projects – some of which may take place outside Europe.
About the KABINE project
KABINE is an interdisciplinary research project from the Clinic for Anesthesiology at Uniklinik RWTH Aachen. The aim is to develop and test mobile, telemedical care units for use in disaster, crisis, or other special situations. The project is being carried out by the AcuteCare InnovationHub and it is being developed in close collaboration with technical partners and in cooperation with various aid organizations. You can get further information by visiting https://projekt-kabine.org
– Author: Uniklinik RWTH Aachen