Komatsu Ltd. and its subsidiary Earthbrain Ltd. have jointly developed a remote control system for construction equipment and began offering it to customers in March. The system will be introduced to the market in phases after on-site verification for commercial production is completed in the first half of FY2023.
The need for remote control of construction equipment is increasing year by year as the labor shortage and aging of operators at construction sites in Japan become more serious. To achieve safe, highly productive, smart, and clean workplaces of the future, Komatsu has been developing remote control systems over the years.
To ensure steady commercial production from the previously verification concept, Komatsu developed the system based on its radio-controlled vehicles, which have a proven track record, such as in the restoration work of Mount Unzen Fugendake in the 1990s.
By combining newly developed software and controller that convert remote control signals for radio-controlled operation and transmit them, we aim to commercialize this system as a remote control system of high quality and reliability.
The remote control cockpit developed by Earthbrain (above) enables remote control with a sense of presence, just as in the actual driver's seat, while checking the front, back, left, right, and work equipment through high-definition video sent from the construction equipment. The transmission and reception of the on-site images and control signals necessary for remote control are sent via 5G mobile network, which features high speed, large capacity, and low latency.
The system can also be linked with Smart Construction Fleet and Smart Construction Retrofit.
Source: Komatsu Ltd.
