Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has unveiled its autonomous heavy machinery at the Xploration Forum in Eskilstuna, Sweden.

At the event, the company showcased a L120 wheel loader and an A25F articulated hauler, each upgraded with autonomous technology. The hope of the company is that once these systems become fully functional, they can add autonomous technology to other systems so that they can perform tasks unmanned as well.

“The machines can perform the same task over and over again, along a fixed route, for a relatively long period of time,” said Jenny Elfsberg, director of emerging technologies at Volvo CE, in an article with Me Construction News. “But it’s still early days for this technology; we are working on developing solutions that have the required safety and performance levels that the market will accept.”

Elfsberg added that the systems can perform monotonous tasks far more efficiently and precisely when autonomous versus when controlled by humans, meaning that customers will see improvements in certain key areas including productivity, fuel efficiency and durability. Elfsberg also sees a scenario in the future where one operator can control multiple machines at one time.

Volvo has been doing work in the field of autonomous machine research for more than a decade. The machines are currently being tested in real work conditions, and the wheel loader is currently in use by a Swedish company that works with an asphalt plant.

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