The future of the construction industry was front and center at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
A 15-foot-tall unmanned wheel excavator greeted visitors as they entered our booth to hear our vision for future solutions to such construction challenges as the lack of seasoned workers.
If you weren’t able to join us at CES 2024, here’s a look at the plan we shared to improve construction sites through increased safety, site autonomy and decarbonization using our innovation concept known as Xite (pronounced “site”).
Future Xite: Automated Safety and Optimization
Future Xite represents what the future of our next-generation construction machines will look like when utilizing advanced unmanned and automation technologies.
The Consumer Technology Association named us as CES 2024 Innovation Award Honorees for two of our next-generation technologies. The first recognition is for our smart collision mitigation with sensor fusion. The system minimizes the risk of job site accidents by automatically stopping the machine when detecting people or objects within a certain range of the excavator.
The second award-winning system is X-Agent. It’s an AI-based machine-assistance solution for excavators, wheel loaders, ADTs, and other construction equipment. The technology self-recognizes and judges equipment information, site environment, and work plan using AI and provides optimized machine operation guidance to the operator.
Twin Xite: Remote Operation Technology
As visitors moved further into the booth, our Twin Xite area presented future construction solutions that are no longer restricted by time and space. Twin Xite will introduce site control solutions and remote control technologies based on digital twins. For example, an operator in the booth in Las Vegas remotely operated a wheel loader near Atlanta, Georgia. Visitors watched as the operator traversed the job site and demonstrated the latest machine safety features, such as object detection and the Transparent Bucket 2.0.
Zero Xite: Zero Emissions Equipment
Sustainability is a priority for our company. At CES, our Zero Xite area represented our efforts to realize an era of zero-carbon emissions through green energy value chains. How we plan to produce, supply, and utilize energy was visualized through a video screen. It showed our vision for how hydrogen and electric energy will go from the ocean to land and power future construction job sites and equipment.
Keynote: Vision of Construction Sites
HD Hyundai CEO and Vice Chairman Kisun Chung led a CES keynote on Wednesday, Jan. 10. DEVELON is a brand of HD Hyundai throughout the world, representing heavy and compact construction equipment.
The term “Xite Transformation” encompasses our vision to improve construction sites, transform how the industry builds the future, and create a solution for a more sustainable environment.
DEVELON Marketing Manager Winta Bereket spoke after CEO Chung and explained how our company’s AI technology will be applied to construction equipment.
“Our AI technology will enhance safety and productivity, advancing the realization of site autonomy,” Winta said.
We intend to focus on furthering our artificial intelligence with technology such as X-Wise and X-Wise Xite, moving our company from a hardware-based equipment manufacturer to a software-driven provider.
“Thanks to X-Wise, safety is getting a technology upgrade,” Winta said. “For instance, the upcoming smart all-around view monitoring (AAVM) camera system. It registers nearby obstacles and minimizes the potential for accidents while the excavator moves autonomously.”
In 2019, we demonstrate the world's first 5g teleoperation stretching across continents, from Munich to Seoul. In coming years, remote control will enable operators to work remotely to avoid high-risk areas.
Although autonomous equipment is still in the early stages of development, we are working to lead the construction industry by forming partnerships with such companies as Gravis Robotics and Google.
Going forward, further upgrades to X-Wise will allow automation of complex tasks such as 3D grading with a tiltrotator attachment, optimizing processes to boost productivity by as much as 60%.
Evolution in Unmanned and Automated Equipment
On display at CES was our Concept-X2 DD100 dozer. The same unmanned cabless machine was also part of our CONEXPO-CON/AGG exhibit in March 2023. The dozer represents the continued evolution of our advanced technologies in the construction equipment industry.
In 2018, we were the first to present 5G remote control for construction equipment across countries. The following year, in Korea, we successfully demonstrated Concept-X, our comprehensive unmanned and automated construction site solution that oversees all operations at job sites, from survey to fleet management.
Last year, we unveiled our latest developments to the technology-based solution, including the addition of the dozer to our autonomous equipment lineup. The machine moves autonomously and its blade control is based on a global navigation satellite system. Follow DEVELON North America on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for the latest on our technology and the future of the industry.
Our AI technology will enhance safety and productivity, advancing the realization of site autonomy.”
By DEVELON
DEVELON North America is a leading manufacturer of construction equipment with an ambition to relentlessly move forward to change the world with innovative solutions.
