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Komatsu and Asunaro Aoki Construction have joined forces to develop electric underwater robots capable of operating at depths of up to 160 feet.
A concept machine was showcased at the recent CES show in Las Vegas, but the idea for this amphibious bulldozer is not new.
In 1971, Komatsu developed the D155W radio-controlled amphibious bulldozer and sold 36 globally. Asunaro Aoki Construction owns all five of these units still in operation today and has completed more than 1,200 construction projects in Japan, primarily for post-disaster reconstruction.
Caley Clinton, Komatsu’s director of global brand communications and creative, gave Equipment World a closer look at the dozer that has been specially equipped for remote-control operation. To learn more about this underwater earthmover, check out the video above.
While the operator remains safely on shore, data mapping and visualization technology allows them to see the seabed or lakebed being cleared. An antenna on top of the machine remains out of the water to communicate with the remote.
Clinton emphasized the importance of this technology for ecological restoration and climate-disaster prevention and relief. “There’s a real need for this,” she says. “We’re doing testing right now, and the idea is to bring a new, next-gen model to the market once we figure out what the best collection of needs is.”
The companies’ vision for the future of underwater construction will be featured as part of a Future Society Showcase Project for Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
