The solutions aim to reduce labour-intensive manual checks that often slow production in safety‑critical industries.
Addressing Pressure To Increase Production
Large-scale manufacturers, including aircraft and ship producers, continue to face pressure to increase output, but achieving this is challenging when precision inspections require workers to access elevated or hard‑to‑reach areas over multiple shifts. These manual processes can interrupt assembly and extend production timelines.
Hexagon is working with industry partners to address these issues, building on its long-standing expertise in laser tracker technology. Its Leica Absolute Tracker ATS800, launched in 2025, introduced high‑resolution direct scanning from distances of up to 40 metres. The wider technology ecosystem has since driven further innovation in both the device and its applications.
New AI-Driven Feature Detection
A new AI-based computer vision tool, FeatureDetect, is now available for the ATS800. Using the device’s onboard camera, it automatically identifies circular features such as bolt holes and mating points. As measurements in precision manufacturing typically reference CAD files, this capability significantly reduces setup time before scanning begins. For companies involved in contract inspection, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), or the measurement of large raw castings, the automation offers substantial time savings.
Portable, Automation-Ready Measurement
The ATS800 is a lightweight, battery-powered system that can be transported in a case and set up by one person. It can operate for six to twelve hours depending on battery configuration. From a single position, its zooming lens and panoramic viewfinder enable high‑resolution assessment of features across large structures.
GKN Aerospace’s Dutch operations are among the first to explore the technology’s potential. Roy Helmos, Tool Service Manager at Fokker Aerostructures, said: “This tracker will help automate measurement and increase efficiency. During the proof of concept, we already identified opportunities to make the process even faster working with Hexagon and our integration partner, ARGON.”
Hexagon’s patented PowerLock technology allows the ATS800 to automatically lock onto a fixed reflector and track its movement in real time, providing an absolute position reference. This capability also supports robotic automation by simplifying position referencing when the tracker is mounted on a linear rail or autonomous mobile robot (AMR).
Automation Without Robots
Measurement solution provider ARGON uses Hexagon’s direct scanning technology to deliver semi‑automated inspection systems for complex, large‑scale components in the energy, aerospace and defence sectors. By integrating the tracker into a forklift‑based “measurement station,” ARGON enables high‑precision inspection of large or difficult‑to‑access parts directly on the shop floor, reducing reliance on manual measurement and operator skill.
Geert Creemers, Founder and Managing Partner at ARGON, said: “We are only scratching the surface of what’s possible with this direct scanning technology. It brings precision and speed to domains where manual measurement was the norm. We call it ‘automation without robots’. In most cases, we achieve efficiency gains of five to ten times, combined with significantly improved, operator-independent data quality.”
Enabling Smart Factory and Remote Automation
The ATS800’s built‑in Wi‑Fi supports remote operation, allowing safer measurements in hazardous or restricted areas. It also enables highly automated workflows using AMRs. With FeatureDetect and PowerLock, the tracker can identify a sphere target in a new location, establish its position within a coordinate system and begin measurement without supervision.
Rodrigo Alfaia, Laser Tracker Product Director at Hexagon, said: “With FeatureDetect we are bringing automation into the process before measurement begins, and with the unique measurement capabilities the ATS800 offers we anticipate far more applications for static-mounted and mobile applications. The ATS800 is having significant impact on production cycles, cutting inspection times from multiple days to hours – and we are excited to see how our ecosystem takes this deeper into automation.”
By integrating an Omron AMR with the ATS800, users can access areas such as beneath a fuselage or flange. Critical measurements, including flush and gap, can be captured reliably, with multiple checks completed sequentially alongside workers or overnight as an additional shift that does not disrupt production.
