Feb 24 2014
Hexagon AB, parent company of Leica Geosystems and leading global provider of design, measurement and visualisation solutions, announced today the acquisition of Aibotix, a manufacturer of intelligent multicopter systems for high-efficiency aerial applications.
Headquartered in Kassel, Germany, Aibotix is the maker of Aibot X6, a new generation of vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Intelligent, autonomous and safe, the multi-rotor platform is designed to suit the needs of customers in the industrial inspection, aerial mapping, surveying, utility and security markets.
Since UAVs are quickly becoming a viable tool for some of Leica Geosystems' key market segments that require application-specific solutions, Leica Geosystems and Aibotix have been working closely together since June 2013. UAV-based solutions available today are ideal for delivering up-to-date geospatial information and aiding in hard to reach areas – from difficult infrastructure inspections of power lines, bridges and dams to locally focused mapping tasks of buildings or any vertical structure.
“The Aibotix acquisition is an important addition to Hexagon’s photogrammetric and mapping technologies portfolio,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “The growing number of applications for UAV-based solutions offers huge growth potential, especially in areas that require frequent and local updates such as smart city applications, dynamic GIS, and emergency response.”
Being part of the same group of companies will enable Leica Geosystems, the leading provider of photogrammetric mapping solutions, together with Aibotix and Intergraph to create unique and synergistic solutions where the UAV becomes an integral part of the workflow process, delivering essential pieces of information that will drive actionable intelligence.
Source: http://www.leica-geosystems.com