AUTOMATION IN CONSTRUCTION IS SHIFTING
AUTONOMOUS HEAVY MACHINERY HAS MOVED WELL BEYOND THEORY AND PROTOTYPE.
Driverless tractors have even made an appearance on our TV screens recently, but the real story is playing out on building sites and infrastructure projects across the country.
Automation is becoming a serious answer to ongoing problems- how can we build more, faster, with fewer resources?
As pressure grows to create new housing, upgrade infrastructure and deliver projects faster, automation is the key to increasing productivity with less fuel, lower emissions and fewer resources.
Ian De Dobbelaere, Commercial Project Manager at Komatsu Smart Construction, offers his insight into how autonomous technology is transforming productivity and why making machines more intelligent could have implications far beyond the industries in which they operate.
The challenge – doing more with less
For years, construction machines have been becoming progressively smarter. Excavators and bulldozers can already use digital designs to help operators dig, grade and shape the ground more accurately.
Newer systems are automating more of those movements, while manufacturers including Komatsu are also developing autonomous machines that could eventually carry out certain tasks with far less human input.
These developments sit along a spectrum- machine guidance and digital progress measurement are in use today, while fully autonomous operations remain a longer-term goal for many construction sites.
Mining gives us a glimpse of where that journey can lead- autonomous haul trucks have already been operating at large sites for years, moving huge quantities of material without a driver sitting in the cab.
For construction, the challenge is particularly significant. The world needs more homes and infrastructure, while projects are under pressure to become faster, more affordable and less carbon intensive.
4 MACHINERY, AUTOMATION, CONTROL & ENGINEERING