Hyundai's HD division demonstrated some very interesting technologies at CES 2024, including a full-scale version of its AI-powered Concept X excavator, a sneak peak of invisibility implement technology, and some autonomous gear that appears to be ready for prime time.
HD Hyundai concept X + Xite Transformation
The Hyundai-Doosan Concept X, which debuted as a scale model of a potential autonomous excavator at a South Korean equipment expo in 2020, has grown up. Way up!
This full-scale version of the HD Hyundai Concept X excavator towered nearly 15 feet above the crowds at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It appeared with four articulating "tank feet" powered by electric drive and notably without a drivers' cab, highlighting Hyundai's Xite Transformation technology suite.
According to Young-cheul Cho, president and CEO of HD Hyundai XiteSolution and Hyundai Infracore, "Xite Transformation is HD Hyundai's site vision for future construction sites that aims to solve pressing issues humanity is facing, such as safety, security, supply chain issues, climate change, and more."
Of course, the second urgent problem that Xite Transformation is working to address is the apparent ongoing scarcity of commercial drivers and experienced equipment operators on building sites. According to Richard Ries of Equipment World, "skilled operators... have become increasingly rare, and the dearth of such personnel appears to be a permanent shift in culture, not simply a short-term aberration." "Until the autonomous workplace becomes a reality and the absence of operators is no longer a barrier to productivity, Xite Transformation will... minimize reliance on operators.”
The prototype excavator is the first of three to be unveiled, and it claims "fully electric" operation, meaning that electric motors and actuators, rather than hydraulic fluid, are used to control the boom arm. The remaining two, the small wheel loader and articulated hauler (shown below), should be completed by 2025.
But wait – there’s more!
HD Hyundai is aiming to improve the life of heavy equipment operators by creating new technology that enables them to "see through" the metal bucket of their machine, even while it's not busy making heavy equipment workers redundant.
With the use of a variety of sensors, cameras, and monitors, it projects a digital image of any rocks, blocks, or other debris that may be inside the bucket. This helps operators better understand what's inside and may help them avoid damaging hazardous electrical or gas lines or moving loads. Furthermore, if it sounds familiar, that's most likely the case.
Using a similar array of cameras, Tier 1 automotive and e-bike powertrain supplier Valeo debuted the XtraVue "invisible trailer" system back in 2019, enabling drivers to "see through" anything they were hauling. Below, you can see a side-by-side view of both systems.
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