FARO, a business of AMETEK, Inc, is closing out 2025 on the back of a busy product cycle and positioning its digital reality platform, Sphere XG, at the centre of its strategy for 2026. The company says its focus has been on responding directly to customer feedback and aligning hardware and software to deliver faster, more accessible reality capture for construction and geospatial users.
Over the past year, FARO has expanded its hardware line-up with three key launches: the Focus Premium Max, the Orbis Premium and the Blink Imaging Laser Scanner. Together, these tools are aimed at broadening the range of capture workflows available to architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and geospatial professionals, from detailed static scans to rapid mobile capture and visual documentation.
The Focus range remains FARO’s core tripod-based terrestrial laser scanning solution, delivering high-accuracy point clouds for as-built documentation, BIM, industrial facility management and infrastructure projects. These datasets underpin activities such as conversions, extensions, space optimisation, structural analysis and maintenance, providing a reliable digital foundation for downstream design and asset management.
Orbis Premium is designed to bridge the gap between mobile and static scanning, combining fast walk-through data acquisition with higher-detail static scans using Flash Technology. FARO highlights its suitability for geospatial tasks such as infrastructure surveying and corridor mapping, particularly where teams are working in hard-to-reach or rugged environments that demand both flexibility and precision.
Blink, introduced in spring 2025, targets field teams that need to capture conditions frequently without deploying a specialist reality capture operator. By providing high-quality 3D visual documentation, Blink is intended to help resolve on-site issues more quickly, giving project stakeholders clear, transparent information about the workface and reducing the risk of disputes or rework.
FARO positions these three systems as the hardware backbone of its digital reality portfolio, with each optimised for different use cases rather than attempting to be a single all-purpose device. The company frames its approach as a balance between speed, accuracy, portability, ease of use and cost, allowing customers to select the mix that best fits their project and organisational requirements.
Alongside hardware, FARO is increasingly emphasising software-as-a-service and cloud-based collaboration as the drivers of long-term value. Sphere XG, its proprietary digital reality platform, is being developed as the central hub where data from tools such as FARO SCENE, HoloBuilder and mobile apps can be uploaded, processed and shared in near real time across distributed project teams.
One example of this shift is Sphere XG’s Floorplan tool, which uses algorithms to convert point clouds into clean 2D floorplans without manual tracing. By automatically interpreting walls, room boundaries and geometry, the tool delivers cloud-processed floorplans that can be downloaded or used directly within Sphere XG for overlays, comparison and navigation, significantly reducing the time and effort traditionally required for this task.
FARO also points to the role of its software ecosystem in supporting remote collaboration and progress tracking. HoloBuilder, together with its JobWalk mobile app, enables 360-degree photo documentation of construction progress, while the Stream mobile app connects Orbis and Focus scanners for real-time scan validation in the field, helping teams confirm coverage and data quality before leaving site.
These capabilities are presented as a complement to traditional workflows such as sharing physical drawings, shipping USB drives or travelling to inspect sites in person. By combining hardware and cloud-based software, FARO argues that project teams can gain efficiency and time-management benefits that will continue to compound into 2026 and beyond.
Looking ahead, FARO is encouraging both existing and prospective customers to engage with its team to identify the most effective blend of scanners, software and services for their specific needs. The company’s message to the construction and geospatial sectors is that, as digital reality capture matures, success will depend less on any single device and more on how integrated hardware and cloud platforms are used to support everyday project decision-making.
*This article is based on a commercial profile supplied by FARO.*
