Kobelco Construction Machinery is the latest machinery maker to join the growing number of firms looking at remote control excavator operation. Called the K-Dive concept, it is currently under development for use exclusively with the Japanese maker’s excavators.
With K-Dive, Kobelco is looking to provide a means of remote machine control that enables an operator to sit in a replicated control platform, located in an office environment, and be able to see and control an excavator located anywhere in the world. The firm sees many advantages for such a system, including operation of equipment working in harsh or dangerous environments, and to manage operator shortages with the convenience of remote operation without having to travel to job sites.