Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, a global leader in digital reality solutions combining sensors, software, and autonomous technologies, has been recognized for its innovative user experiences in engineering.

Hexagon announced that its structured light scanner, the SmartScan VR800, has won the Red Dot Design Award in the product design category in recognition of its outstanding product design quality.

Hexagon’s Smart Scan VR800 was recognized at this year’s awards for its quality of user experience, ergonomics, and Hexagon’s brand design language.

The Smart Scan VR800 is the manufacturing industry’s first smart zoom-enabled optical 3D scanner with a motorized zoom lens, delivering a revolutionary user experience that captures high-resolution scans of parts in just seconds.

Ergonomic design is a critical factor in designing portable scanners for use in highly automated manufacturing processes. Hexagon's design team put a lot of effort into understanding what users need and solving their problems, designing the Smart Scan VR800 with convenience as the top priority.

While conventional structured light scanners require manual recalibration when replacing lenses, resulting in low work efficiency, the SmartScan VR800’s unique closed zoom lens design, developed by Hexagon’s Swiss Innovation Hub, simplifies scanning into a single process without lens replacement, making user operation easier.

Integrating a zoom lens into a 3D scanner presents significant technical challenges, as it requires consideration of many factors, including the robustness of the frame and calibration capabilities, while maintaining portability and performance. The Smart Scan VR800 maintains calibration without loss of accuracy when expanding the scan area, and provides a resolution of 238 to 49 microns. In addition, a custom carbon fiber frame developed to accommodate the camera and lens ensures the thermal stability of the scanner and increases the calibration interval to support accurate measurements.

What sets the Smart Scan VR800 apart from its predecessors is its integrated controller unit, which provides fast on-device processing and scan data optimization. While existing scanners require a separate control box to be installed with the scanner, requiring a separate space on the job site, the built-in control unit of the Smart Scan VR800 operates with just two cables, greatly improving portability and mobility. Additionally, the scanner's universal quick-mounting interface provides high stability when mounted on a robot arm or tripod.

“We strive to simplify complexity and understand what users truly need to develop intuitive and efficient products,” said Matthias Wieser, VP of Product Design for Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division. “We’ve expressed the expertise and functionality of the Smart Scan VR800 in Hexagon’s brand language, while also aesthetically expressing the product’s innovation.”

“Hexagon’s interdisciplinary collaboration has been instrumental in the development of the Smart Scan VR800,” said Dirk Rieke-Zapp, Senior Product Manager, Structured Light and Photogrammetry, Manufacturing Intelligence. “The expertise of researchers in innovation hubs across the company allowed us to innovate on key design features—such as the zoom lens, carbon fiber frame, and built-in controls—while delivering on our design objectives.”

Meanwhile, Hexagon invests 15% of its net sales in product development and research (R&D) and holds more than 5,500 patents. More than 6,500 R&D employees in innovation centers around the world are developing solutions to support innovative digital transformation in the manufacturing industry.