Hexagon AI-powered laser inspection cuts shipbuilding quality checks from days to hours in International Shipping News 23/04/2026 Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence Business Area unveiled new laser-guided solutions that make it possible – in some cases for the first time – to automate inaccessible and large-scale quality inspections in labour-intensive operations such as aircraft assembly, shipbuilding and wind turbine manufacturing. Globally, large-scale manufacturing such as aircraft production and shipbuilding are under sustained pressure to “ramp up”, but it’s operationally challenging to make high precision safety-critical machines on time because quality inspection requires workers to inspect critical features from cherry pickers over multiple shifts that can interrupt production and assembly. Hexagon is working with the manufacturing community to change this, building on a trusted legacy of innovation in laser tracker technology. Its Leica Absolute Tracker ATS800, launched in 2025, introduced a new category of measurement technology – high resolution direct scanning from up to 40m away – and today the ecosystem has responded to drive further innovation in the device and its applications. A new AI-based computer vision capability called FeatureDetect that is available for the ATS800 automatically locates circular features such as bolt holes and mating points using its onboard camera. In a precision manufacturing context, the measurements are usually taken based on the CAD file, so this innovation drastically reduces setup time before laser scanning even begins. For companies that perform contract inspection, MRO, or need to measure large “raw” castings hot from the forge, this software automation adds to the huge time savings of direct scanning. Automation-ready The ATS800 is a light, portable battery-powered measurement device that can be transported in a case and mounted onto a tripod or rack by a single person for use in multiple locations onsite with 6 hours to 12 hours (with 2 batteries) operating time between charges. From a single vantage point, its zooming lens assembly and panoramic view finder allow it to assess features and surfaces within large structures at high resolution. GKN Aerospace’s Dutch operations are amongst the first companies to see the potential of the ATS800. Roy Helmos, Tool Service Manager from Fokker Aerostructures explained why: “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.” Using Hexagon’s patented PowerLock technology, the ATS800 automatically and immediately “locks on” to a fixed reflector and tracks its movements in real time, providing an absolute position reference. The ability to measure target reflectors also greatly simplifies robotic automation processes, providing precise position referencing within a wider coordinate system when the tracker is mounted on a linear rail or an autonomous mobile robot (AMR). Automation without robots Measurement solution provider ARGON leverages Hexagon’s Absolute Tracker direct scanning technology to deliver semi-automated inspection solutions for complex, large-scale components across energy, aerospace, and defence. By integrating a direct scanning tracker into a novel forklift-based “measurement station,” ARGON enables high-precision, semi-automated inspection of large, hard-to-a