Kobelco Construction Machinery Europe has joined forces with Hexagon subsidiaries Leica Geosystems and Xwatch Safety Solutions to market Hexagon’s remote operation system for excavators, cranes and other machinery in Europe.
The idea is to integrate Kobelco’s remote operation technology, called K-Drive, with Leica Geosystems’ machine control products and Xwatch’s safety technology.
Leica Geosystems said the collaboration aimed to “transform jobsite operations in Europe by integrating digitalisation, automation, and enhanced safety into one platform”.
The company said remote machinery operation would help mitigate labour shortages and improve site safety.
Developed by Kobelco’s Japanese parent company, K-Drive lets operators control machinery at a distance from a control cockpit equipped with high-definition displays and responsive controls.
“This collaboration marks a major step towards the future of digital construction in Europe,” said Makoto Kato, managing director of Kobelco Europe, adding “we are redefining what is possible on the jobsite”.
The partnership will exhibit their new integrated system next week at Bauma 2025.
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