Check out this video of Volvo's future ideas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ183Dq2sts&feature=fvw
Looks great and i like that color change option.......but i won't wear that suit.
:iagree I don't want that suit crammed up my butt either
So why even bother with the operator? Whole thing looks pretty impractical to me. Oh ya, can you imagine what it would cost to build?
I was thinking the same thing Greg. With an elaborate laser system, you'd think the machine could dig on it's own with some pre-programming.
Boy, that would be a PITA getting in and out of the machine to shovel when trying to find a pipe.
Its neat
Hey, I admit that you have to think outside of the box to be creative but that thing is a joke. The undercarriage is impracticle, the boom will be a fortune to build over a convential box type and the cab is a joke. But, why would you need a cab when the thing can run itself?
i think they have a hoe like that. its called the spider hoe http://www.curtisheintzexcavating.com/Spider Hoe 2.jpg
that video was created for investors who run like cattle toward shiny things and run away from scary things, not operators, contractors or mechanics who actually have a clue about excavators.
what good is that? when are they going to come up with something you can operate from the living room?
Too much negativity here! This is just a look at possibilities.. not a future design. All-in-all, very interesting. An all glass cab like this would be great for visibility, but not very practicle in reality. I like that it can move up and down - it's very similar to forestry excavators or the types you see in wrecking yards that move up to see over large piles of scrap metal. The tracks are interesting - alot could be done here but as was mentioned before, probably too much expense to justify. the moveable counter weight is great, and the lasers could be used to show you your surroundings and even the dimensions of a hole you are in! A system like that that was high-mounted that could automatically read and display grades would be fantastic. Excellent design thinking here.. in terms of the boom design, you never know what can become economical when forward thinking is applied.. it may look un-doable, but could prove to be quite useful (enclosed hydraulic lines, etc). and, material sciences are always advancing. I say Bravo Volvo.. keep it coming!
Tracks and such. Hello. Not only are the tracks doable, it is already being done. The extending cab, already here, just not with all that glass. Remote control, yup. Laser rangefinding and object detection? you bet. Color changing paint job? expensive as hell, but here. Movable counterweight? Nearly everything that was shown, including the skin-tight suit, is already here in one form or fashion. Just not in a excavator. And, yes, I think I will skip on the suit.
Yeah.. i saw a video of a small machine that had a moveable counter weight, so that's already here too. Can't understand what use changing the exterior colour would be... I guess if you had 5 of these machines working together, and you wanted to know who was where..?
Spider excavators are similiar. Kaiser Launched the S3 track several years ago . Here is a link to their site http://www.kaiser.li/en/international/excavators/products/kaiser-s3/track/ Not sure how their sales have been for the track version spyder excavator.
not very practicle for demolition where demo guards are needed,looks like quite a jump for the driver after he's loaded it on the low-boy, all-in-all still looks neat and im sure it would be nice for some site's not any of mine though!
I would love the object detection for rear of the house, it would save a ton of paint and sheet metal. Case IH quadtracs have rubber tracks and manage road speeds well. I still think the same capability would move to an excavator.