Few areas of research are as dependent on 3D measurement technology in the setup of its major experiments as fusion plasma physics. Highly developed laser trackers, as well as portable scanning and photogrammetry systems, have opened up a world of possibilities for improving fusion research processes.

Without laser trackers and 3D CAD software, the Wendelstein 7-X fusion research system, which is close to completion in Greifswald, Germany, could not even have been designed, let alone constructed. But the goal for the Wendelstein 7-X is almost worth all the effort: power generation on the basis of nuclear fusion—the same method of producing energy that has taken place on the sun for millions of years and has the potential to revolutionize energy production here on earth.

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