Honda Puts Its Autonomous Vehicle Tech To Work At Construction Site

Honda and the engineering and construction firm Black & Veatch have tested a prototype of Honda’s autonomous work vehicle at a construction site in New Mexico.

During a month of tests, the AWV performed such tasks as towing, moving construction materials and other supplies to specific locations within the work site.

While Honda had conducted earlier tests of a previous iteration of the AWV, this latest evaluation was the first in which it deployed multiple units that were assigned coordinated tasks.

Honda’s AWV was first shown as a concept at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show. It combines a durable off-road side-by-side platform with advanced autonomous technology. The vehicle uses a collection of sensors to maneuver without a driver, using GPS, radar and lidar for obstacle detection, as well as 3D cameras. Together, these features enable the AWV to be operated by remote control.

Honda engineers trained Black & Veatch employees on operating and safety protocols. Black & Veatch personnel gave detailed feedback that helped Honda enhance the AWV’s capabilities and services.

“Black & Veatch’s pursuit of construction innovation and safety on job sites has led us to this relationship with Honda,” said Mario Azar, president of Black & Veatch’s global power business. “With our leading market position in solar power, the testing of this new autonomous work vehicle aligns with our focus on advancing the industry through new and innovative ways to work at project sites.”

Kenton Williams, Honda’s AWV project leader, said the vehicle has the potential to improve efficiency, safety and general environmental performance to the construction and other industries seeking an autonomous off-road solution.

The field tests were conducted at a Black & Veatch solar energy construction site featuring the laying out of support structures for solar panels.

Honda produced a high-definition map of the 1,000-acre site. That allowed Black & Veatch operators to set start and stop points for the AWVs, which then operated for up to eight hours at a stretch in high-temperature environment.

The 1,590-pound vehicle carried payloads of nearly 900 pounds, and in a separate use case towed a trailer carrying more than 1,600 pounds.

The AWV is just under 10 feet long, stands 4 feet, eight inches tall and is 4 feet, 11 inches wide.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/greggardner/2021/11/15/honda-tests-autonomous-work-vehicle-at-black--veatch-solar-site/?ss=ai&sh=2399726a4070