It is expected that at the Bauma exhibition in Munich this year, that autonomous and semi-autonomous technology will be on display and will be a focal point for many of the exhibitors, with the event running from October 24 to 30.
One exhibit that visitors will be able to observe is the results of a three year long study from Machines in construction 4.0 (MiC 4.0), which was established during the last Bauma exhibition by leading German industry associations, HDB and VDMA.
With 105 members from seven nations and 31 working groups, MiC 4.0 has examined aspects of digital construction technology including automation and semi-automation, machine connectivity, collaborative robotics and best practices for data usage.
Tim-Oliver Müller, director of the German construction industry association, HDB in an interview with construction Europe, he said that, while he doesn’t believe full autonomy in construction machines is likely to arrive in the near future, he is convinced that the construction industry could nevertheless benefit greatly from the use of digital technology.
“Such solutions have the potential for noticeable increases in efficiency and productivity,” he said.
The MiC group has been examining the standardisation of data and says simple information such as whether a machine is on or off is now being digitalised and standardised and is being utilised across manufacturers committed to the MiC 4.0 effort.
The organisation’s managing director, Dr Darius Soßdorf, said, “In any construction machine with an internal combustion engine that sends the signal ‘on’, the crankshaft of the engine rotates.”
Soßdorf claims that the joint approach implemented here is entirely new and unique.
This, along with other aspects of research undertaken by MiC 4.0 in the last three years will be presented at the innovation hall LAB0 at Bauma, where, along with presentations, there will be a physical demonstration.