Komatsu Ltd. (President and CEO: Hiroyuki Ogawa) and its subsidiary EARTHBRAIN Co., Ltd. (President and CEO: Akinori Onodera, hereinafter "EARTHBRAIN") have jointly developed a remote operation system for construction machinery and began offering it to customers in March 2023. Field testing for mass production is scheduled to be completed in the first half of fiscal year 2023, after which the system will be gradually introduced to the market, contributing to improved safety and productivity at construction sites.
[Image of the Remote Operation System]
In Japan, labor shortages and the aging of operators at construction sites are becoming increasingly serious issues, and the demand for remote operation of construction machinery has been growing year by year. Komatsu has been working on the development of remote operation systems as part of its efforts to realize smart, clean, and highly productive future job sites. In 2020, Komatsu became the first in Japan to successfully conduct a proof-of-concept for remote operation of construction and mining machinery using 5G.
The newly launched system is based on Komatsu’s radio-controlled machines, which had proven their capabilities in the 1990s during recovery work at Mount Unzen’s Fugen-dake. The system has been refined for mass production by developing new software and controllers that convert remote operation signals into radio control signals, resulting in a highly reliable and quality-assured remote operation system.
The remote operation cockpit, developed by EARTHBRAIN, enables operators to perform immersive remote control just like being in the actual driver's seat, using high-definition video feeds sent from the construction machine to monitor surroundings and attachments. With support from NTT Communications Corporation, the system uses 5G—known for its high speed, large capacity, and low latency—for the transmission of video and control signals. The job site and remote control center are connected via a 5G and cloud infrastructure using “docomo MEC™”*¹ and “MEC Direct®”*².
Moving forward, the system will undergo final technical and safety validations with the cooperation of Ohno Kaihatsu Co., Ltd. (Chairman: Teruaki Ohno, headquartered in Matsuyama, Ehime), which has already adopted the system. Komatsu and EARTHBRAIN aim to flexibly meet the diverse remote operation needs of different customers and job sites.
Additionally, the system is compatible with Smart Construction Fleet and Smart Construction Retrofit. When integrated with these services, the system can further enhance efficiency in tasks such as loading dump trucks and improve safety in construction machine operations.
Komatsu and EARTHBRAIN will continue efforts to refine system functionality and sophistication throughout the year, aiming to mass-produce and deliver new value to future construction sites.
*¹ “docomo MEC” is NTT DOCOMO’s cloud service that offers the key features of MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing) such as low latency and high security, essential in the 5G era.
*² “MEC Direct” is a service by NTT DOCOMO that connects devices directly to the cloud infrastructure, optimizing the communication path and achieving low-latency, high-security 5G communication.
*“docomo MEC” and “MEC Direct” are trademarks or registered trademarks of NTT DOCOMO, Inc.
The information in this news release is current as of the date of announcement and is subject to change without notice.