Doosan Announces Industry First “Transparent Bucket” to Wheel Loader to Eliminate Blind Spots

March 15, 2021 Shane Hedmond

“You make a better door than a window!” is what I imagine loader operators constantly yell at the bucket in front of them (or maybe I’m just projecting based on my experience of having the habit of sitting right in front of the TV as a kid). Either way, operators may not be yelling that in the future, as equipment manufacturer, Doosan, has introduced what they claim is an industry first “transparent” bucket.

[VIDEO] SkyTy is the Drone That Ties Rebar From the Sky

March 1, 2021 Shane Hedmond

Just over a year ago, I was introduced to an early prototype of the SkyMul SkyTy, which is a robotic drone with a rebar tying attachment designed to autonomously locate and tie rebar on the jobsite. After a year of tweaks and advancements, SkyMul is now on their third prototype and they showed off those improvements in a new video.

OnTraccr is Making Construction Technology Accessible to All

February 26, 2021 Shane Hedmond

image courtesy of OnTraccr Technologies Inc.

[sponsored] OnTraccr, a new productivity app for construction, is looking to make their software accessible to everyone, by making it as simple and easy to use as possible, while still giving your company the valuable data it needs to survive in our constantly changing industry.

Finally, an Air-Conditioned Hard Hat is on the Horizon

February 23, 2021 Shane Hedmond

It seems a little odd to be talking about air-conditioning when much of the United States hit some incredibly low temperatures in recent days, but a product that I learned about recently is just too exciting to ignore. Announced at CES 2021, a research company has unveiled an air-conditioned hard hat (ACHH) that can reduce the ambient temperature up to 22 degrees Fahrenheit!

[VIDEO] Volvo Announces Mid-Size Electric Excavator, the EX03

February 22, 2021 Shane Hedmond

Like most of the other electric machines that have been announced previously, Volvo promises that this midsized, 14 metric ton excavator will have the same performance as a similarly sized diesel version. The X03 is currently in the concept stage, so Volvo does not have immediate plans to bring it to market, but it shows the possibilities that electronics on heavy machinery can allow for.

Meet Canvas, the Drywall Finishing Robot Offering Level 5 Quality

February 10, 2021 Shane Hedmond

No matter the industry, robots are highly efficient at performing repetitive tasks. We’ve seen that firsthand in the construction industry in recent years with the emergence of bricklaying, rebar-tying, and overhead drilling robots. These robots not only offer consistency, but help to reduce muscular-skeletal injuries caused by long term stress on muscles and joints. A newer robot hitting construction sites is Canvas, a semi-autonomous robot that promises to provide Level 5 finish on drywall.

Autodesk Build is Available to All, Combines Capabilities of BIM 360 and PlanGrid

February 9, 2021 Shane Hedmond

At last year’s virtual Autodesk University, Autodesk announced a trio of new products: Build, Quantify, & BIM Collaborate. Build, the platform that combines the features of PlanGrid and BIM 360, is officially available on a global scale as of today.

[VIDEOS] Spot Robot Dog Adds Self Charging, Remote Operation, and Arm

February 3, 2021 Shane Hedmond

Spot, the famous robot dog from Boston Dynamics, has been officially for sale to the public for less than a year, but the company has already announced major upgrades for the growing platform. Yesterday, February 2nd, Boston Dynamics held a launch event for 3 new Spot products: Enterprise, Scout, and the Spot Arm.

The 7 Biggest Construction Safety Stories of 2020

February 1, 2021 Shane Hedmond

2020 was a challenging year in many respects, but none greater than from a safety standpoint. The coronavirus pandemic placed the notion of “people over profits” under the microscope, while also balancing the needs of their employees to continue to make an income under difficult circumstances. While the pandemic was a large part of the construction safety conversation last year, there were several other developments to take note of for your projects in the future.

Liebherr Premieres the World’s First Battery Powered Crawler Cranes

January 20, 2021 Shane Hedmond

As more and more battery powered heavy construction equipment is being released to help lower noise and emissions on the jobsite, I shouldn’t be that surprised to hear about a battery powered crawler crane – but, I still am.