TIMELINE OF THE EVOLUTION OF EQUIPMENT:
• Late 1800s to early 1900s— Pneumatic systems: Jackhammers, drills, brakes and lifts
• Early 1900s— Mechanical controls: Levers, pedals and cables
• 1960s— Hydraulic systems
• 1980s— Electro-hydraulic controls, joysticks and CAN bus systems
• 2000s— Digital displays, touchscreens, telematics, GPS and remote monitoring
• 2020s— Integration of AI, AR, semi- autonomous and autonomous machinery
• 2025 and beyond— Fully autonomous machinery and extended reality systems
damage from harsh weather conditions and screen malfunctions.
Where We’ re Going
It’ s impossible to say just how equipment controls will change in the decades to come, but it’ s likely we’ ll see more extended reality, augmented reality( AR), virtual reality( VR), machine learning, AI and autonomous machines in construction spaces.
Companies are already using VR technology for training purposes to help operators safely practice using machinery like excavators, cranes and bulldozers in realistic scenarios. Benefits, such as reduced risk, cost savings and better retention of skills, mean more companies are likely to embrace this type of tech solution. We may even see AR glasses become as common as hard hats, providing real-time visualizations for operators and supervisors.
Similarly, AR can merge real-time data and visual cues with an operator’ s view. AR glasses and heads up displays can show machine data like load weights, fuel levels and maintenance requirements in a location and way that keeps the operator informed yet focused on the worksite. AR overlays can project blueprints directly onto jobsites during grading, excavation work and material placement for exact locations without additional mapping or marking, and it may provide teams in different locations with visuals of the project through shared AR experiences for better collaboration across miles.
Eventually, semi-autonomous and autonomous machines will take operators out of the driver’ s seat. Instead of actively controlling equipment, they’ ll supervise. They may be onsite or operating remotely from work headquarters or even home offices. Some companies, including Caterpillar and Komatsu, have developed semi- or fully autonomous versions of equipment; other companies are currently working on grading, digging and material-handling machinery that uses AI to make real-time decisions and requires minimal human intervention.
How to Prepare for the Future
With all of these changes on the horizon, companies and
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