As labor shortages become more serious in the construction industry, construction equipment manufacturers are accelerating development to respond with the latest technologies such as autonomous driving and remote control.
Of these, Hitachi Construction Machinery is developing automatic operation of hydraulic excavators.
Multiple sensors installed around the excavator body and the work site not only grasp the position of the vehicle body, but also detect the shape of the earth and sand where the work is performed.
After that, we determine the most efficient route and work method, and work automatically.
We are currently conducting demonstration experiments and aim to put them into practical use in a few years.
Shinya Imura, General Manager of the Hitachi Construction Machinery Advanced Development Center, said, "Since the machines operate automatically when instructions are given, one person can operate multiple machines.
Komatsu has also developed a system that allows remote operation of heavy machinery.
On this day, a company in Ehime Prefecture that is promoting the introduction of the system remotely operated heavy machinery at a facility in Chiba Prefecture as a demonstration.
In the operator's seat, which is shaped like a cockpit, seven monitors are used to show the situation at the site, and the person in charge can operate it as if he or she were in the actual driver's seat.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, 7% of workers in the construction industry are over 35 years old, which is a higher average age than in other industries, and the movement to develop new technologies is likely to accelerate further as labor shortages become more serious.