Aibotix X6
Aibotix · Germany · also known as Aibot X6 · Updated
The Aibotix X6 (Aibot X6) is a German-built hexacopter unmanned aerial vehicle designed for surveying, mapping, and industrial inspection, developed by Aibotix and acquired by Hexagon AB in 2014.
Overview
The Aibot X6 was developed by Aibotix, a drone manufacturer headquartered in Kassel, Germany. The aircraft was built as a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) multi-rotor platform aimed at professional users in industrial inspection, aerial mapping, surveying, utility, and security markets, rather than at consumer or hobbyist operators.
On 18 February 2014, Hexagon AB — the Swedish measurement-technology group that also owns Leica Geosystems — announced it had acquired Aibotix. Hexagon described the deal as "an important addition to Hexagon's photogrammetric and mapping technologies portfolio," positioning the X6 alongside its existing surveying and geospatial software as a combined hardware-and-workflow offering for customers needing up-to-date geospatial data from hard-to-reach infrastructure such as power lines, bridges, dams, and buildings.
Following the acquisition, the aircraft was marketed for a period as the Leica/Hexagon Geosystems "Aibot X6." The product no longer appears in Hexagon's current UAV lineup, indicating the platform is now a discontinued, legacy product rather than an actively sold one.
Design and capabilities
The Aibot X6 is a six-rotor multirotor aircraft (a hexacopter), a configuration chosen for the redundancy and payload capacity typical of that layout. Aibotix's own product materials state a maximum payload capacity of up to 2 kilograms, intended to carry interchangeable sensor payloads rather than a single fixed camera.
Documented sensor options for the platform include Sony Alpha 7 and Nikon D800 cameras for high-resolution aerial photography, a Nikon Coolpix camera for lighter photogrammetry work, and thermal-imaging payloads for inspection tasks. Flight functions described by the manufacturer include manual and GPS-guided flight, fully automatic take-off and landing, dynamic waypoint setting, position hold, and automatic return.
Detailed airframe dimensions, maximum take-off weight, flight endurance, top speed, and service ceiling are not confirmed by any of the sources reviewed for this entry and are therefore left unspecified rather than estimated.
Use cases
Documented applications of the Aibot X6 center on professional geospatial and inspection work. In one case study, the Swiss transmission utility Alpiq EnerTrans AG used an AibotX6 to conduct live-line inspections of overhead power line towers, capturing high-resolution images to document anomalies or damage; each tower inspection took about 10 minutes, per the case study, replacing inspections that previously required shutting down the line for a worker to climb it.
In another documented project, a surveyor used an Aibot X6 fitted with a Nikon Coolpix camera to photograph the landing gear of a retired Airbus A300 "Zero-G" research aircraft for Novespace and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), generating a photogrammetric 3D point-cloud model with reported accuracy of better than ±5 mm at key measurement points.
Hexagon's own announcement of the acquisition also cited industrial inspection, aerial mapping, surveying, utility, and security as target markets for the platform.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Aibotix X6?
It is a six-rotor (hexacopter) unmanned aerial vehicle built by the German company Aibotix for professional surveying, mapping, and inspection work.
Who owns Aibotix today?
Hexagon AB acquired Aibotix on 18 February 2014, folding the drone into its photogrammetry and mapping technology portfolio.
What is the payload capacity of the Aibot X6?
Aibotix's own product materials state a maximum payload of up to 2 kg, sized for interchangeable cameras and sensors.
Is the Aibot X6 still in production?
No current, actively maintained product listing was found; the platform is treated here as a retired, legacy product superseded by Hexagon's later geospatial UAV offerings.
How accurate is data captured with the Aibot X6?
In a separate documented photogrammetry project on an Airbus A300 landing gear, the resulting 3D model achieved an accuracy of better than ±5 mm at relevant measurement points.
What kind of inspection speed has been reported for the Aibot X6?
In a Swiss power-line inspection case study, the aircraft completed inspection of each transmission tower in about 10 minutes.
