Aju Business Daily

SEOUL -- Hyundai Construction Equipment, a heavy equipment maker in South Korea, will supply advanced smart logistics solutions by combining its unmanned forklift technology with KT's information and communication technology. The company sees a favorable market outlook as a coronavirus pandemic expedited untact technology.

The two companies agreed to cooperate in areas such as remote control of unmanned forklifts and remote after-sales services through artificial intelligence voice control as well as video and augmented reality.

Hyundai Construction Equipment (HCE) demonstrated the remote control operation of its first unmanned forklift at a logistics warehouse in Eumsong, about 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Seoul on April 23. Unmanned forklifts travel by planned routes, reducing the risk of safety accidents.

"We will lead the market by supplying not only unmanned forklifts but also overall logistics solutions such as control systems, charging facilities, warehouse and production management systems," HEC Kong Ki-young said.

In December 2018, HCE teamed up with Trimble, an American software company, and SK Telecom to develop a 5G smart construction platform that collects, analyzes and controls related information for civil engineering, enables autonomous operation and remote control of construction equipment.

HEC has been involved in a project launched by South Korea's Hyundai auto group to develop the world's first construction machines with hydrogen fuel cell systems. The auto group hopes to produce the prototype of hydrogen fuel cell forklifts by the end of this year and hydrogen fuel cell excavators in 2021.

In 2018, HCE developed a 3.5-ton electric excavator mounted with lithium-ion batteries which last up to eight hours in a joint project with Cummins, an American diesel and alternative fuel generator maker. Demands for eco-friendly and more power-efficient electric powered excavators are rising due to strengthened environmental regulations.