Regular readers will have seen that Bobcat recently won an international design prize for its L85 compact wheel loader. Now Doosan is sharing the glory, bagging the same gong for an excavator that doesn't event exist. Yet...
Doosan achieved the accolade for its eye-catching 'Concept-X' machine. The futuristic prototype is but one of only 75 entries to have won an IF Design Gold Award out of a total of 10,000 put forward from 52 countries, which was judged a jury of 98 independent experts.
In spite of looking like it has been beamed down from the Planet Zog, the driverless digger has solid underpinnings. To wit, a four-track configuration that would be a boon over uneven ground, and a standard-looking bucket to do the actual excavating.
After that, we're in the realm of tangible possibilities. Concept X works in tandem with drones which scan the site, analyse the information, establish the most economical work plan and transfer the data to the machinery, which includes unmanned excavators and wheel loaders.
While we foresee pitchforks and flaming torches at construction sites, all of this seems well within the bounds of even current reality. Somebody should inform Arnie before it's too late, but respect to Doosan for thinking outside the box.