Metrika360 is Germany’s leading specialist in 3D laser scanning and building digitization, delivering precise, fast, and comprehensive services for its customers.
As a valued NavVis customer, Metrika360 received early access to NavVis CLX. During an early-access session at NavVis HQ, CEO Tim Schrievers shared his first impressions of the new system and his perspective on where it could fit within Metrika360’s work.
The following statements are based on feedback gathered during an early-access customer session with Metrika360 at NavVis HQ. Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity, brevity, and readability while preserving the original intent.
From the very first hands-on experience with the prototype, size and weight took center stage. For a team that works with larger systems every day, the difference was immediately noticeable.
“It is definitely smaller – and really lightweight.”
The well-thought-out design decisions were convincing as well: a swappable battery and off-the-shelf, high-speed memory cards that can be replaced anywhere.
The fact that the device offers both the proven 2D mode and the new 3D mode was expressly welcomed. In large buildings in particular, having an overview is crucial.
“Other scanners only have a 3D mode – but the 2D mode is also very important. In a huge building it’s otherwise a real problem to figure out where you’ve already scanned. This device offers both.”
The 3D mode opens up new possibilities in customer interactions – from showing results on site to data privacy conversations about what is actually being captured.
“It’s cool that with this device you can show the customer this 3D layer on site.”
The arrangement of the two scanners means ceilings and vertical surfaces are captured almost automatically – a tangible advantage over previous workflows.
“We see a huge advantage in covering vertical surfaces better. It looks like the ceiling is also immediately captured well, without any additional movement.”
Behind this lies a core principle of how Metrika360 works: every device you can leave behind simplifies the entire process.
“Every device you can eliminate makes the entire process significantly simpler. Anything I can accomplish with a single device, I want to do with a single device.”
The use of NavVis CLX serves a dual purpose: it provides a new solution for capturing environments that are otherwise challenging to capture and would require different tools and strategies depending on the situation, while also complementing existing devices seamlessly. This allows surveyors to build a more complete toolkit without adding unnecessary equipment.
Particularly exciting was the option of using the lightweight device on a pole – for example to capture roofs or courtyards that previously required a drone, along with permits and separate software.
“The fewer data sources you have, the better. There are many buildings where an extended tripod lets me see the roof, and I’d otherwise need a drone just for that. This device is completely sufficient for the job.”
The lower weight is what makes this application practical in the first place – a clear difference from any larger systems.
When assessing data quality, the team was refreshingly pragmatic: for floor plans, area calculations, and planning projects, the device delivers exactly what is needed – quickly and easily.
“If you want to produce floor plans at scale, it’s the go-to device, because it’s simple and it’s fast.”
Years of project experience have taught Metrika360 that actual requirements are often overestimated – almost all planning applications can be covered with mobile scanners.
“Anyone who believes they need the highest-quality data often doesn’t fully understand their actual data needs or requirements. And in our experience, virtually all planning applications work with any NavVis scanner.”
The most accurate data may be required for detailed design and construction planning; however, a pragmatic approach is often the most appropriate during the design planning stages. What ultimately matters for productive use is stability over longer distances without control points.
Ease of use means far more to Metrika360 than just comfort – it changes who can scan and how quickly new team members become productive.
“If you have to train someone for half a year and they only stay for one year, that’s a problem. If you can do it within a day, that’s a huge advantage.”
At the same time, the device reduces reliance on the individual operator – making the results more predictable.
“A device that is easier to use can deliver results that are just as good as – or even better than – those from a device that requires extensive training but ends up in the hands of a less skilled operator.”
Day-to-day practicality counts too: this compact device can simply be taken anywhere.
The new pricing model with a per-device processing flat rate struck a chord.
“I think we have plenty of use cases for it – certainly 50 percent of our projects.”
The reaction to the actual overall package was short and clear.
“Okay – yes, we’ll take it!”
Beyond its own team, Metrika360 sees the device as the key to a long-discussed model: end customers such as housing associations scan small spaces themselves, while Metrika360 takes over and refines the data.
“We keep having customers who say: we’d like to scan ourselves. For a 60-square-metre apartment it’s hardly worth commissioning us – but if a few devices are on hand and the apartment is quickly scanned, the data is sent to us, and we take care of the rest.”
The prerequisites are exactly the qualities that distinguish the new device: an affordable price and operation that virtually anyone can master.
“Customer demand for self-scanning has come up repeatedly, but until now, it has always been too expensive to implement. I think we can now move in that direction especially because this device is so easy to use.”
For Metrika360, the new device is a small, light, and pragmatic building block that brings the principle of “everything with one device” a good deal closer to reality: all surfaces, including ceilings and floors, are captured almost automatically, the pole replaces the drone in many cases, and for floor plans and areas it is simply the go-to device.
Together with flat-rate processing and its ease of use, it also opens up new business models – extending to customers who carry out their own scans.
Ready to see how NavVis CLX can transform your own workflows?