Tech advancements are constantly finding new ways to improve construction, heavy equipment as well as their related industries, and there was no shortage of innovations this year.
Based on our online readership, here are our most read technology articles of 2024:
In Febraury, Cat announced two new technology package upgrades for its medium dozer line up.
Starting early this year, Cat Assist with ARO (attachment ready option) suite of features will be included as a standard on Cat D4, D5, D6, D6 XE and D7 models.
As well, a new Cat Grade with 3D Ready option provides more flexibility for customers upgrading to Cat Grade with 3D on the D4, D5 and D6 dozer models.
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, HD Hyundai’s vision for the future of construction was presented by Kisun Chung, Vice Chairman and CEO of HD Hyundai, during his keynote address at the show.
HD Hyundai’s solution to accelerate innovation in construction is called Xite Transformation, which aims to improve jobsite safety, introduce site autonomy and decarbonize construction. Xite is created with cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital technologies and robotics.
At CES, Bobcat introduced a new concept that allows operators to see more than the immediate jobsite in front of them.
Advanced Display Technology transforms the windows in equipment into an augmented reality display. The transparent screen allows the operator to see both the physical jobsite, as well as numerous other data possibilities to aid in the task at hand.
Advanced Display Technology is a concept developed by Bobcat in conjunction with LG Electronics and BSI Research. Built into the machine’s glass, the OLED screen from LG takes the place of the front cab windshield or side window.
At World of Concrete in Las Vegas, SkyMul demonstrated SkyTy, its rebar tying robot.
SkyTy is capable of completing the layout for rebar placement and post tensioning cables, as well as tying the thousands of ties required in rebar preparation for cast-in-place concrete applications.
The semi-autonomous robot leverages machine learning and computer vision to map the work area and locate rebar intersections to find, classify and plan the work to be done. SkyTy does not require CAD files or site plans to complete the task.
Based in Atlanta, SkyMul is a robotics start up company founded by Georgia Tech alumni. The company’s goal is to automate many of the tedious, labour-intensive tasks required before concrete is poured.
Out top story of the year also originated at World of Concrete. New 3D printing robots from Gaudi are promising to build homes in record time and for a fraction of the cost of traditional methods.
According to Gaudi, the 3D printing robots can reduce material costs by 60 per cent, labour costs by 80 per cent and time on site by 70 per cent.
The 6-tonne Gaudi 1 robot is able to print homes up to two storeys tall, while the 11-tonne Gaudi 2 can tackle homes up to four storeys.
