We’ve already shared our conversation with Plowman Craven about their first early-access experience with NavVis CLX. As the exchange continued, more valuable insights emerged, so we’re bringing you part two.
During a follow-up discussion at GEO Business 2026, Mark Wakeling, Technology and Innovation Director at Plowman Craven, shared more of his perspective on the new system, from its design and ergonomics to the applications he sees it supporting.
The following statements are based on feedback gathered during this follow-up customer discussion with Plowman Craven at GEO Business 2026. Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity, brevity, and readability while preserving the original intent.
From the very first encounter, the new device was recognized as unmistakably part of the NavVis family. For an established user like Plowman Craven, that continuity carries real weight: the same standards and design thinking, now in a smaller, more manageable form.
“It comes from the same design family, the same ethic as the other systems in the NavVis LX series – the same commitment to quality and doing things in the right way.”
The reduced size is not merely cosmetic. It changes the day-to-day experience of the people who use it.
“It is a smaller device that is going to change the life of the surveyors working with it. It makes it more convenient to move around in the congested, busy indoor environments where the system naturally applies.”
Crucially, this is a device surveyors are happy to be seen using.
“This is a system I can imagine using as a professional surveyor. I can imagine moving through a space with it, working in a professional way, and being proud of the work I do and the device I use.”
Because Plowman Craven’s surveyors work with these systems intensively, ergonomics is not a secondary consideration but a core requirement.
“Our surveyors work with these systems intensively, so ergonomics is really, really important to us. We want them to be comfortable in their work, without any manual handling concerns.”
The combination of a handheld form factor, a supportive harness, and balanced weighting was seen as making sustained use practical.
“It feels like something that carries the urgency of the user and was designed with a surveyor in mind. It's something our surveyors could use day in, day out, capturing data in a comfortable and ergonomic manner. And that is essential to us.”
A recurring strength was the device’s ability to reach places that are awkward or otherwise impossible to capture. With the pole adapter, the device can extend into spaces that the surveyor cannot easily enter.
“The pole adapter really makes the system even more versatile. The surveyor can move the device into locations that aren’t convenient to reach by hand – into ceiling voids or discrete areas around the bases of rooms. I think that’s a unique and interesting innovation.”
Equally valuable is the freedom to keep both hands available while capturing with the specially built harness – something that matters in occupied, public-facing environments.
“As I move through the buildings we capture, I often need to interact with members of the public and move through doors. The hands-free operation really makes that possible.”
Complete coverage and confidence on site
The dual-sensor arrangement was highlighted for delivering full coverage as the surveyor simply walks through a space, removing the anxiety of wondering whether anything has been missed.
“The dual sensors enable complete coverage as the surveyor walks through the space. They reduce the stress of wondering whether everything has been captured, allowing the operator to leave the job site with confidence.”
The integrated display reinforces that confidence, removing the friction of relying on third-party screens or phones.
“We often face challenges when third-party displays and users’ phones are involved in the workflow, so we really value the integrated display – and the new live 3D feedback that gives further confidence you’ve captured absolutely everything you need.”
Rather than displacing existing instruments, the new device slots neatly alongside them. Plowman Craven uses the full range and sees a distinct role for each.
“At Plowman Craven, we work with the entire NavVis series, and we see value in each of those systems. The NavVis VLX is great for high-productivity, long-range capture, indoors and outdoors; the NavVis MLX is ideal for more versatile indoor work. Now, the new device gives us a reduced minimum range for more compact environments and even greater ease of use.”
For its intended applications, particularly area referencing, the data is considered to be exactly what the job requires. Absolute precision matters less here than reliable relative accuracy.
“For area referencing surveys, this system is fit for purpose. What these surveys need is great relative accuracy – understanding how many square meters are in each space. Coupled with the versatility and ergonomics, that makes it an excellent choice.”
Because it is more affordable and easier to carry, the device changes when and how it is used. Instead of being the primary instrument planned for a job, it can also travel along as a ready option.
“This is a device you can take with you, just in case you need it.”
“A great use case for us would be underground utility surveys – a surveyor finishes a day tracing assets, then takes it out, walks the site, and captures the environment with complete confidence.”
Delivering virtual tours is central to Plowman Craven’s client work, and the move towards splat-based capture is seen as a meaningful shift in what those tours can offer.
“Delivering virtual tours to our clients is a key focus for us. Many solutions on the market today constrain the viewer to fixed points where panoramas were captured. Splat technology changes that – it lets the viewer move through the scene and take any perspective they choose.”
The compact device is regarded as especially well-suited to capturing the rich data on which these experiences depend.
“That’s really, really exciting. The new device will be truly optimized for capturing the datasets that make the best of the splat experience.”
Beyond any single feature, Plowman Craven values the device as a durable, flexible asset rather than a narrow, single-purpose tool.
“We know that over the life cycle of this device, we can probably use it in ten different ways – it’s a versatile, quality kit for everyday use.”
That versatility spans the breadth of the company’s services, with confidence that its usefulness will continue to grow over time.
“We deliver everything from area referencing to digital construction to spatial monitoring, and we can imagine this tool applying across all of them. I’m confident it’s a system that will keep evolving as we work with it.”
The improved cost accessibility also enables a practical change in how devices are allocated within teams.
“These are high-value assets, so we usually share them. But because this is a more cost-efficient system, it becomes feasible to issue one to each surveyor to carry onto all their projects.”
Seen through Plowman Craven’s eyes, the new device is a genuine addition to the NavVis family rather than a replacement for any part of it. It brings the same quality and design ethic into a smaller, more affordable, and more versatile package that surveyors are comfortable using all day and proud to be carrying on site.
From area referencing and utilities to immersive splat-based virtual tours, its appeal lies in its breadth: a dependable, everyday product that fits across the company’s services and is expected to keep evolving. Together with workflow advances such as Cross Dataset Alignment, it reflects a partnership in which customer feedback continues to shape the technology.
Ready to see how NavVis CLX can transform your own workflows?