HxGN LIVE Global 2022, the flagship conference for Hexagon, brought a wealth of ideas and discussion to the space as industry professionals, experts and customers alike met with Hexagon’s experts, partners and sponsors to discuss the way forward into a sustainable autonomous future. While this alone was a welcome boost to the autonomous technology world after three years in the stasis of the pandemic, Hexagon upped the ante in Las Vegas by introducing brand-new platforms, solutions and products designed to facilitate even greater ease and power for customers looking to make autonomy a part of their workflow. Here’s a closer look at three major product announcements from HxGN LIVE Global 2022:
Empowering an autonomous future for the mining industry: The Power of One platform
The Power of One platform was the first Tech Highlight launched at this year’s HxGN LIVE Global. This holistic, life-of-mine smart solution connects sensors, software, infield apps and cloudware to connect mines to offsite collaborators via a single onboard ecosystem and empowers customers’ digital transformation, connecting key mining workflows for a safer, more productive and sustainable future. For the customer, the platform offers an effortless experience with a seamless UI/UX and consistent functionality. Reduced cost of ownership, reduced deployment and training time, reduced supply chain complexity and increased operator adoption are just some of the platform’s many benefits.
“The Power of One platform is a landmark enabler for next-generation autonomy,” said Nick Hare, President of Hexagon’s Mining division. “It offers mines a uniquely intelligent approach based on open architecture to autonomously connect key mining ecosystems, such as exploration, planning, drill and blast, material movement and mine monitoring. It’s the scalable, platform-agnostic answer to challenges previously addressed by point solutions and multiple vendors.”
Rob Daw, Hexagon’s Mining division Chief Innovation Officer, described the platform as “unique and profoundly disruptive. This marks the fulfillment of a commitment to connect all parts of a mine and [the industry]. It points the way to a safer, more productive and sustainable future.”
Freedom to innovate:
Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division announced an open platform for smart manufacturing: Nexus. Nexus revolutionises how technology professionals collaborate –creating the freedom to innovate by enabling real-time data sharing between different design, simulation and production applications. By connecting different applications to form workflows and different technologies to develop unique solutions, Nexus acts as a full-service platform that addresses engineering and manufacturing problems from concept to delivery.
Nexus is the foundation for Hexagon’s new solution offerings in the smart manufacturing space.. It is capable of leveraging data sources from across Hexagon’s portfolio, connecting hundreds of Hexagon’s software tools and unlocking new insights from metrology devices and connected machines.
Parth Joshi, Chief Product and Technology Officer for Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, said: “Our customers are managing increased complexity in the market, which is demanding faster innovation than ever. Siloed tools, rigid systems and inaccessible data are increasingly ill-suited to the manufacturing industry’s needs and pressures. Our vision for Nexus is to enhance the products our hundreds of thousands of customers have come to know and love with additional capabilities, powered by the cloud, AI and Machine Learning, real time collaboration and advanced visualisation. Nexus will allow manufacturers to build more agile and resilient processes so they can respond positively to change and take advantage of new opportunities, create faster pathways to products and develop increasingly autonomous workflows – realising the full potential of smart and sustainable manufacturing.”
Next generation laser scanner: The new Leica BLK360
Finally, Hexagon announced the all-new Leica BLK360, an advanced precision imaging laser scanner from Leica Geosystems, a pioneer in reality capture solutions. At the push of a button, users can capture a full scan with spherical images in only twenty seconds — over five times faster than the first generation of BLK360. With best-in-class rapid scanning and VIS technology that automatically combines scans on-site, the new BLK360 speeds up workflows to create fast and complete datasets.
Four scan settings capture data in 7, 13, 30, or 75 seconds at 680,000 points per second in rich high dynamic range (HDR) imagery with 5-bracket HDR and measuring 155x80mm and weighing just 850 g with batteries installed. The latest version is 5 times faster than the BLK360 G1, taking just 20 seconds for a full-dome scan. Data can be transferred at high speeds via USB-C and WiFi, so workflows are not interrupted by long uploads.
Users can control the unit with the Leica Cyclone FIELD 360 mobile app, which enables streaming data to an iPad or final project data to Cyclone REGISTER 360 or Cyclone REGISTER 360 (BLK Edition) via Wi-Fi, with full data synchronisation between devices and automated workflows to dramatically streamline reality capture. Basically, the new BLK360 allows users to spend less time processing data and more time creating meaningful deliverables.
The BLK360 also includes a free companion app – BLK Live – and can directly upload data to HxDR, Leica Cyclone REGISTER 360 or E57 via USB-C or WLAN for scan-to-BIM workflows.
As you can see, Hexagon is invested in creating not just new autonomous hardware and software options, but in creating systems that bridge the data utilisation gap and allow information to work together on truly collaborative platforms. Enhancing the ability of our solutions to work together is just one way that Hexagon is committed to reducing waste, curbing inefficiencies and operating with accountability to our impact as we pursue our mission of a future that is not only autonomous, but sustainable.
Didn’t make it to HxGN LIVE Global, or just looking to re-live the experience? No problem! Learn more about the Tech Highlights showcased at this year’s event.
With this many exciting developments already coming out from this year’s conference, we can’t wait to share what we’ll be announcing this time in 2023. Join us!
