Hexagon has released SpatialAnalyzer 2026.1, adding an OPC UA client that connects the metrology software directly to robot controllers, PLCs, and SCADA systems for closed-loop automated inspection.

The OPC UA integration lets SA subscribe to robot state tags and publish live measurement feedback in real time. Measurement Plans trigger when the robot signals readiness, such as on a "Ready for Scan" or "Move Complete" event, and position, orientation, and deviation data feed back into trajectory corrections until the part meets tolerance. Twenty-five new MP/SDK commands support the workflow, covering subscription services, callback actions, PLC heartbeat monitoring, and node registration events. What's new here is that SA moves from a passive measurement recorder to an active participant in the control loop, removing the need for a separate integration layer between the inspection software and the robot controller.

On the cloud side, the cloud-to-cloud query has been replaced with a cloud-to-mesh method that generates colorized mesh outputs and exposes full colorization controls through a right-click menu. Voxel callouts can now display saved distance or intensity values from colorized clouds, and a new mesh callout shows local deviation values for colorized meshes. The Enhanced Cloud format introduced in 2025.2 gains RGB display controls, cross-section cloud support, and full MP/SDK integration in this release.

Three new import formats arrive: PLY (point cloud files with X, Y, Z, surface normals, and RGB), PSL (PolyWorks native format), and NSD (Technodigit 3D Reshaper format), which also adds as an export target. Google Sheets integration lands with 19 new MP/SDK commands, letting Measurement Plans read and write spreadsheet data and run custom scripts from within SA.

Instrument updates include direct WiFi connection and measurement controls for the Leica RTC360 scanner, a new model entry to clarify support for the Leica TS20, and an ATS800-specific Linear Noise Reduction filter (Max Angle Filter) to reduce stray cloud points during line, area, and ring scans. Leica LMF trackers across the AT500, ATS600, AT930/960, and ATS800 lines receive a primary DLL upgrade to .NET 8. The release also adds RDS 6.6 support for Leica trackers and arms, which brings intensity data with scan output from the AS1 scanner.