Hexagon Enters Humanoid Arena with AEON Robot for Industry

Hexagon Unveils AEON Humanoid, Bolstering European Presence in Industrial Robotics

Swedish technology firm Hexagon has stepped into the burgeoning humanoid robotics arena with the launch of AEON, a robot designed specifically for industrial applications. The announcement, made on June 17, 2025, at Hexagon's LIVE Global event, positions another European contender in a field largely characterized by innovation from the US and China. While companies like Germany's NEURA, Poland's Clone, and the Norwegian-founded, US-based 1X represent existing European efforts, Hexagon's entry with AEON brings a new dimension, leveraging the company's deep expertise in measurement technologies and industrial systems.

From Precision Measurement to Mobile Manipulation

Hexagon, a global leader in sensors, software, and autonomous solutions, is framing AEON as a natural extension of its core competencies. "Hexagon’s legacy in precision measurement and sensor technologies has always been about enabling next-generation autonomy," said Ola Rollén, Chairman of the Board at Hexagon. He added that the company has been working on robotics innovation for a decade and views Hexagon as "one of the best-placed companies in the world to lead and shape the field of humanoid robotics."

The AEON humanoid, developed by Hexagon's Robotics division, aims to address labor shortages and enhance safety and autonomy in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and logistics. It integrates Hexagon's sensor suite with advanced locomotion and AI-driven spatial intelligence.

AEON: Key Capabilities

Hexagon highlights several key features for AEON, emphasizing its industrial suitability:

• Agility and Precision: AEON is designed for both rapid movement and tasks requiring high accuracy, benefiting from Hexagon's proprietary measurement technologies.
• Awareness: The robot uses multimodal sensors and spatial intelligence to understand its environment and optimize tasks, a critical factor for dynamic industrial settings.
• Versatility: AEON is intended for a range of applications, including material handling, asset inspection, reality capture for creating digital twins, and teleoperation. It utilizes an "end-to-end training approach."
• Power Autonomy: A notable feature is a battery swapping mechanism, designed to allow continuous operation without lengthy recharging downtimes, a significant consideration for industrial workflows.

Arnaud Robert, President of Hexagon’s Robotics division, stated, "With AEON, we’re advancing physical AI to tackle real operational challenges – bridging cutting-edge technology with practical industry needs."

Industrial Pilots and Collaborations

To validate AEON's capabilities, Hexagon is partnering with industrial companies Schaeffler, a motion technology specialist, and Pilatus, an aircraft manufacturer. These pilot programs will see AEON deployed in production environments for tasks like manipulation, machine tending, part inspection, and reality capture.

Roman Emmenegger, VP Manufacturing at Pilatus, commented on the collaboration, anticipating AEON could be a "contributing solution in sustaining our competitiveness." Similarly, Sebastian Jonas, Senior Vice President Advanced Production Technology at Schaeffler, expressed excitement about piloting Hexagon's humanoid solutions in their factories.

Technologically, AEON is supported by several key players. It is powered by NVIDIA's accelerated computing, Omniverse, and Jetson platforms. Microsoft Azure provides the cloud infrastructure for scalable development and training, while maxon contributes next-generation actuators for AEON's locomotion.

European Humanoids on the Rise?

The launch of AEON signifies a growing European interest in the humanoid form factor for automation. While many details regarding AEON's specific performance metrics, cost, and wider availability are yet to be fully disclosed, Hexagon's focus on integrating its established industrial sensor and software expertise into a mobile, manipulative platform is a noteworthy development. The company plans to deploy AEON in production environments over the next six months before a broader commercial rollout.

As the humanoid robotics market continues to evolve, the practical application and integration of these complex machines into existing industrial workflows will be key. AEON's emphasis on precision and its backing by a major industrial technology player like Hexagon make it a development to watch closely.