In the case of Bobcat construction equipment, you add radar-based sensing solutions to detect objects and people on job sites. Partnering with Ainstein AI, Inc., Doosan Bobcat North America is doing just that.
Bobcat’s are frequently seen loading or unloading trucks, moving or leveling dirt, drilling, cleaning up at various locations and other activities where a compact industrial moving/lifting tool is required. The passenger compartment is heavy to offset the weight of payloads being moved, lifted or excavated. It also has blind spots, so the focus of the driver has to be divided between his project and avoiding people and objects. The collaboration with Ainstein intends to create next-generation radar sensor solutions for Bobcat equipment to solve that problem.
Ainstein designs and develops radar systems that are smart, affordable and offer complete solutions for autonomous vehicles. Their radar system collects object position data, including range, azimuth, elevation and doppler information, to provide real-time alerts to operators. The alerts incorporate a combination of mmWave radar, sensor fusion and artificial intelligence (AI). This allows an operator to focus on the task being performed with minimal diversion to obstacle and collision avoidance.
The company has already introduced its K-79 autonomous automotive imaging radar sensor. Designed for use in self-driving industrial trucks, tractors and similar specialty vehicles, it is the first commercially available sensor optimized and validated for autonomous operation of vehicles in hazardous conditions, such as low-light and extreme dust.
With its partnership with Ainstein, Bobcat intends to provide customers with optimal productivity and the “ultimate operator experience through sensor technology.”