Machine Tech Competition: All the Details on the Hitachi Construction Machinery Challenge
The Hitachi brand has been heating up over the last couple of years. In 2022, Hitachi re-entered the U.S. market, ending its 30+ joint venture making excavators for John Deere. Over the last two years, Hitachi has expanded in the States with a new sales and marketing force and (of course) new Hitachi-branded products, including lots of hot compact excavators. Just this year Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas announced the opening of a sustainable, state-of-the-art headquarters in Georgia. What’s next? Here comes the Hitachi Construction Machinery Challenge.
On November 20th (that’s this week), the Hitachi Construction Machinery Challenge will take place at the Americas regional headquarters in Newnan, Georgia. According to the press release:
For the past 70 years, Hitachi Construction Machinery Group has been a leader in developing machinery that is efficient, reliable and innovative. The Hitachi Construction Machinery Challenge is the Group’s next step towards becoming a true solutions provider to offer their customers machinery and technological solutions that will optimize and modernize jobsites across the globe.
What Is the Hitachi Construction Machinery Challenge All About?
For this tech challenge, 127 startups from around the world submitted proposals to exhibit in one of three categories. Those categories are Transforming Construction Planning, Revolutionize Equipment: Information, Interface & Autonomy and Transform Fleet Management. So, out of all those startups, Hitachi narrowed it down to nine finalists (three for each category). Those finalists will present their innovations to a panel of judges this week. They could win a chance to exhibit their technologies at the International Construction Machinery Fair bauma next year in 2025. We’ll be at bauma, so we’ll get to see this awesome tech first hand.
Come learn the dos and don’ts of trailering compact excavators.
Hitachi Is Embracing Cool Tech Including Electric
This challenge will also promote education. Guest speakers include Dr. Edvard Bruun of the Bruun Automation Research LAB at Georgia Institute of Technology, and Shankar Radhakrishnan, the COO of Dimaag-AI. On display during the open exhibition time, will be an example of Hitachi Construction Machinery’s collaboration with a startup, an electric excavator developed in partnership with Dimaag-AI.
Dimaag-AI is incorporating its “Electric No Compromise Off-Road Ecosystem” (ENCORE) into Hitachi’s 1.7-metric-ton class excavators, machines widely used in urban construction and indoor demolition. Hitachi will supply critical technical information and specifications to facilitate this electrification process. ENCORE, which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show, features a cutting-edge suite of technology, including Dimaag’s high-power, swappable battery modules, an advanced thermal management system, electric motors, inverters, power electronics, software for electric vehicles (EV) and charging stations.
This ambitious project is set to debut in December 2024, with an official launch scheduled for the bauma. Hitachi plans to introduce the product to the European market by 2027.
Who Are the Finalists of the Hitachi Construction Machinery Challenge?
The startups pitching in the Transforming Construction Planning category are ALICE Technologies, Smart PMO and Sodex Innovations GmbH. According to the press release:
These three contenders will present technologies that provide actionable data and critical information to assist in decision-making during both the planning and construction phases of a project. Some problems they’ve been challenged to solve are around the optimization of cost, time and CO2 emissions, leveraging ICT machinery, implementing matchmaking solutions, and outcome monitoring.
For the Revolutionize Equipment: Information, Interface & Autonomy category the contenders are Hive Autonomy, Teleo and iNAGO Corp.
They will present innovations that evolve how operators and owners engage with their equipment. The specific challenges they’ve set out to accomplish are enhancing operator information clarity, innovating equipment operation interfaces and adaptive autonomous operation solutions.
In the third category, Transform Fleet Management, the startups are SHAREMAT, Talpa Solutions and Veristart Technologies.
The challenges they will address are minimizing machinery downtime, optimizing idle assets and monitoring asset usage.
Hitachi Continues to Catch Our Attention
Hitachi Construction Machinery continues to solidify its presence in the American market. The brand’s commitment to innovation and technology is clear. The Hitachi Construction Machinery Challenge is not just a showcase of groundbreaking ideas but a testament to the company’s vision of transforming the construction industry. With their strategic investments in electrification, smart machinery and collaboration with tech pioneers, Hitachi is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on jobsites around the globe. As the company gears up for its future with electrified equipment and the anticipation of bauma 2025, all eyes are on the brand to see how these advancements will redefine construction and fleet management. We’ll keep you updated.
Keith Gribbins is managing editor of Compact Equipment.
