Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1245531
I DA U N I V E R S A L M ay -J u n e 2 0 2 0 29 NUTS AND BOLTS NEWS Nuts & Bolts continued on page 31 Heavy equipment that is outfi tted with Built's so ware uses GPS and LIDAR systems to dig trenches between pre-deter- mined GPS points on a construc- tion site. Erol Ahmed, Built Robotics director of communica- tions, said that much of the focus for the implementation of the autonomous machinery so ware has been on earth moving, but Built Robotics plans to expand beyond tasks like trench- digging. Onboard cameras and the LIDAR systems will also notify the autono- mous machinery of nearby workers or other vehicles, Ahmed said. In addition, machine operators will be able to establish a "geo-fence" outside of which the robot is unable to operate. Remote-controlled machines will be completely keyboard- operated, Ahmed said, as opposed to employing joystick or handheld controllers as drones o en do. Using the keyboard will allow operators to control the machinery through a web-based platform. Some autonomous excavating and earth-moving equip- ment has already been used on U.S. jobsites, Ahmed said. A Mortenson wind farm project was the site of much of the research and development phase for Built's so ware, which controlled the heavy machinery that dug foundations for wind turbines. e artifi cial intelligence (AI) guidance systems work on machinery from any equip- ment manufacturer, Ahmed told Construction Dive, while still maintaining complete manual operation capabilities. Built Robotics Releases First Fully Autonomous Construction Machinery in U.S. Upgrading and training to use the so ware through Built can take one or two days, Ahmed said. Customers then pay a monthly subscription fee for using the so ware, as well as an hourly fee based on the usage of the robot. Ahmed did not share specifi cs on pricing. A er receiving training, Ahmed said operators could be overseeing multiple autonomous machines at once, and that the time one autonomous machine takes to perform a task is compa- rable to one piloted by a human. CONEXPO planned to showcase Komatsu's bulldozer with blade control. Although not autonomous, the dozer is able to capture data about the grading of a site, determine blade height and decide whether to cut or spread material. Komatsu fi rst unveiled the dozers in the summer of 2019. ● www.constructiondive.com/ news, 2/20