Construction-equipment manufacturer JLG is reimagining the jobsite of the future by integrating robotics, AI, connectivity and electrification across its existing product lines to make workers safer and more productive.
Dubbed the Clearsky Smart Suite system, JLG’s new autonomous platform augments human abilities with machine precision and scale, according to Sara Vincent, the company’s director of marketing.
“It’s not about replacing human workers,” she says. “It’s about making labour more efficient and more productive while being safe.”
For example, JLG is demonstrating how an operator on the ground can remotely weld an ibeam into place. A laser welder is mounted on the end of an articulated boom lift, and, using sensors and advanced video imaging, the system moves the welder and beam into place. Different coloured lights and audible sirens warn people nearby before the weld is placed. Quality checks are conducted automatically in real time as the operator monitors progress from a safe distance, able to operate multiple machines in tandem. Use cases include welding, painting, material transport, component installation, and glazing.
JLG is also showcasing a drywall finishing robot that it is developing. The machine automatically sands and muds drywall – a labour-intensive and potentially dangerous task requiring repetitive muscle movement. Vincent suggests that the robot could help speed timelines for the growing number of AI-data-centre construction projects. The robot is not commercially available but is being tested in the field by JLG customers.
Stand N12308
