Themes of the Challenge

Introduction

The construction industry faces the challenge of improving productivity against the backdrop of an aging skilled workforce.

In order to address these challenges, we need to improve construction efficiency, including for users of heavy equipment.

Hitachi Construction Machinery wants to contribute to solving these problems by releasing base machinery for ICT construction and to leverage these assets to promote information based on construction methods. We believe the future will continue to see the evolution of how operators and owners engage their equipment.

Goals

1. Improving the information provided to operators; Visualize the information provided to operators in an easy to understand manner
2. Offer innovation in the operation of equipment, help us define the future of equipment operation tools / interfaces
3. Understand the site (operation environment) and provide solutions related to remote and autonomous operation appropriate for the conditions

Context

1. Operators Information: Currently operators have to shift their viewpoint in order to see info on (multiple) monitors, operators need to be able to visualize information such as construction plans while looking ahead
2. Operation Interface: Hitachi Construction Machinery is influenced by history, the interface which the operator engages with has not been changed in many years, is this really the optimal operating environment? What is the next generation of operation and operators?
3. Autonomy: The environment around the machine, object identification, soil hardness determination, surrounding work impacts the work which should be done but it is hard to replicate the operators intuition in such matters