Safety and Efficiency from Afar: The Teleoperated Future of Skid-steers

Compact size, a wide range of applications in different sectors, and economic availability. We are talking about skid steer loaders from First Green Industries (FGI), used for tasks ranging from small modifications around houses to large construction sites. However, this variety can create many safety risks depending on the environment. Thanks to our teleoperation, FGI can now move the operator from the control cab to the home office, providing the necessary safety and greater efficiency.

This truly remote control also solves a major problem in the construction industry, which is the lack of skilled workers. The operator can easily switch between machines all over the world without having to get up from their chair.

„Teleoperation allows us to use our machines in dangerous places like the mining industry, the chemical industry, docks, and other areas where the operator’s life and health are at risk. That’s why we see teleoperation as a standard for the near future. It also saves money on wages, as one operator can control several machines, and reduces costs for workplace safety.“

― Lukáš Rameš, COO of First Green Industries

Goals:

• Create a comfortable solution for the remote control of skid-steer loaders,
• enhance safety,
• promote workplace equality,
• mitigate the impact of labour shortage,
• ensure operational effectiveness.

Challenges:

• Implementing teleoperation solution into a new type of vehicle,
• operating lift arm with precision,
• replace our usual steering wheel with the two joysticks normally used in the machine,
• placement of cameras to ensure the best visibility for driving and material handling,
• incorporating operator feedback to maintain operability and comfort.

Solution:

It took us just six months to develop the first teleoperated version of the Elise 900. This period was also used to gather the necessary feedback from operators working with these machines in real conditions. Simultaneously, we successfully integrated the development of this solution with the ongoing European 5G-Blueprint Project, which provided the necessary funding for the realization of the first functional prototype and saved FGI a significant investment.

“Roboauto is a strong partner for us. Together, we were able to develop and optimize teleoperation both in software and hardware, manage development costs efficiently, and prepare teleoperation for the product stage.”

― Lukáš Rameš, COO of First Green Industries

Industry Feedback:

• Recognition – this solution was recognized by the European Commission’s Innovation Radar.
• Market ready – First Green Industries offers a teleoperated version of their electric skid-steer loaders Elise and Rockeat.

„The overall feel of the controls is natural, almost like regular operation. This is also helped by the quality video, which allows for good navigation. After a bit of getting used to it, I found the controls even smoother and faster.“

― Henk Jansen, skidsteer operator

If you’re interested in deploying teleoperation to your machine or need an innovative software development partner, reach out to us at info@roboauto.tech.