Leica BLK ARC Reality Capture Device Available

Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon's Geosystems division, reports an enhanced partnership with Boston Dynamics, maker of mobile robots, positioning the Leica BLK ARC as a certified reality capture device for Boston Dynamics’ Spot. This announcement includes software integrations to deliver a new laser scanning workflow for the agile mobile robot.

The new laser scanning workflow enables users to initiate an Autowalk that includes laser scanning in the Spot app and carry it out without human intervention.

By integrating this workflow into Boston Dynamics’ Orbit robot fleet management software and Spot app, Spot customers can stack and control BLK ARC reality capture missions as part of a full suite of autonomous robotic capabilities alongside other payloads. This workflow enables customers to document and capture site conditions in plants, warehouses, and enclosed structures, as well as provide infrastructure for asset management, building information modeling, fire investigation, and more.

The operator can also choose individual positions along a mobile scan path to conduct static scans for added detail. Leica Geosystems software and cloud applications allow users to export mobile and static scans along with panoramic images for team collaboration, data processing, and creation of digital twins.

“Our customers are already collecting data about equipment health with Spot, and now, they will be able to capture detailed 3D spatial data using the same workflow,” says Tim Dykstra, director of Strategic Partnerships, Boston Dynamics. “Our partnership with Leica Geosystems offers another way dynamic industrial facilities can create and maintain digital twins with agile mobile robots.”

“Our technology partnership with Boston Dynamics played a vital role in accelerating the use of autonomous reality capture on robots as a foundation for creating digital twins,” says Simon Mark, vice president of Strategic Innovation at Hexagon’s Geosystems division. “Integrating our industry-leading technologies underlines our shared dedication to simplifying workflows, promoting autonomy in reality capture and unlocking new applications for robotic scanning.”

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.