NavVis VLX 3: what the third-generation wearable means for large sites

NavVis introduced the VLX 3 on 9 May 2023 as the new cornerstone of its wearable mapping line. The headline change is the sensor package: two 32-layer LiDARs designed for surveying, producing 1.2 million points per second with lower noise and less drift than the VLX 2.

What changed

• Twice the data at range, with a wider vertical field of view that captures ceilings and tall racking in one pass.
• More robust SLAM, which keeps long loops through car parks, warehouses and campuses aligned without extra control points.
• Outdoor-ready for topographic and road surveys, not just interiors.

Where it beats a tripod

A 200,000 sq ft distribution centre that takes two days with a static scanner is a morning's walk with the VLX 3, and the point cloud is accurate enough for LOD 200 to LOD 300 modelling once processed in NavVis IVION. For clients who need centimetre-level as-builts across whole portfolios, that time saving is the difference between documenting a few sites and documenting all of them.

VirtualSpace pairs the VLX 3 with a Matterport walk for the visual tour, so the client gets a shareable Virtual Space and a survey cloud from the same visit.