HxGN Robotic Automation

Problem & Context

Hexagon set out to simplify and de‑risk programming of automated inspection cells. Prior processes relied on disparate vendor tools, manual file exchanges and slow on‑site commissioning. The objective: a unified WPF application where engineers can model a cell, visually program several robots, simulate kinematics & collisions, validate tool paths and generate vendor‑specific binaries. Programs can be executed in real time over the network or exported & stored for later execution, while remaining extensible for new sensors and robot brands.

Responsibilities

• Led the WPF UI team: architectural direction, mentoring & code reviews
• Designed MVVM modular shell (Prism regions + Unity DI) enabling plug‑in features
• Integrated HOOPS 3D engine: full cell visualization, robot path & collision layers
• Implemented visual robot sequencing & path editor with validation overlays
• Established reusable control & theming system (Telerik + custom components)
• Optimized performance: profiling hot paths, GPU (CUDA) acceleration hand‑offs
• Defined contracts with Simulation / Data / Control microservices
• Instituted SOLID guidelines, automated build checks & peer review workflow

Architecture & Stack

• .NET 4.7 + .NET Core 3.1 (C#) hybrid / migration pathway
• WPF MVVM (Prism) + Unity Container
• HOOPS for 3D visualization & interaction
• Microservices (Simulation / Data / Control) containerized (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Messaging fabric: RabbitMQ + ZeroMQ for telemetry & command channels
• Persistence: EF Core (LINQ‑heavy repository/query composition)
• GPU acceleration: CUDA in simulation loops
• UI: Telerik controls + custom MVVM‑friendly components
• Tooling & Process: Jira, TFS, Teams, SOLID design principles

Outcomes

• Unified multi‑vendor programming eliminated manual translation steps
• Offline simulation & path validation reduced commissioning time significantly
• Modular plug‑in model accelerated integration of new robot brands & sensors
• Consistent UI library lowered onboarding time for new contributors
• Improved path visualization increased operator confidence & reduced runtime errors

Demo

Learn More

Official product page: hexagon.com ↗