Bluelight Machines, a provider of retrofit autonomy kits for construction equipment, has introduced Autopilot to automate asphalt compaction based on operator-set rolling parameters.
The kit is currently compatible with Caterpillar’s CW16 and CW34 nine-wheel pneumatic-tire rollers. Additional makes and models will be supported in the future based on customer demand.
Autopilot is available now through Bluelight dealers or Bluelight Direct, to buy and subscribe or rent. The hardware, subscription and training are priced under $50,000. Bluelight also offers retrofit autonomy kits for soil compactors and articulated dump trucks.
[Watch: How Bluelight's $50K Autonomy Kit Can Boost Productivity Up to 14%]
How Does Autonomous Compaction Work?
The autonomous roller follows the paving mat throughout the shift based on operator inputs, including the corridor (area to be rolled, typically behind the paver mat), speed, overlap, number of passes and distance behind the paver.
The system executes what the operator specifies, with Bluelight calling it “an extension of the operator on site,” not a replacement. The roller can still be run manually with the kit installed.
Autopilot uses RTK GPS, forward- and rear-facing cameras with onboard AI, and electronic steering control. It can detect people, vehicles, heavy equipment, cones, stakes and other obstacles.
Powered byAutopilot can be controled from any device with a browser, usually an iPhone or iPad. Installation takes less than two hours, the company says, and more than 90 percent of the parts are shared with Bluelight's soil compaction and ADT kits.
On the Job
Autopilot is already being used by Granite in its Arizona region, as well as by C.W. Matthews Contracting on the I-285 rebuild in Georgia, the biggest paving job in the state now.
"We've worked with Bluelight for over a year on the soil compaction side on our civil jobs," says Brian Lasham, Granite paving manager. "We have been eager to bring Bluelight autonomous compaction technology to asphalt rollers and are excited to bring this to market and be an industry first. We lead by example, helping operators get more done and taking people out of harm's way."
"It’s the extra safety and production that gets me excited about Bluelight. We want to get the operator out of harm’s way at the end of the paving train, and Bluelight helps free up an extra person to work the screed. That helps the paver go faster and flow smoothly," says Juan Gasca, paving foreman, C.W. Matthews.
Bluelight has autonomous retrofit kits deployed on almost 200 machines at more than 300 jobsites in 11 countries on five continents, with worksites ranging from small jobs to data centers and major infrastructure projects. According to the company, its customers have autonomously compacted 1.9 billion square feet of soil with zero injuries.
Bluelight's safety system learns from operators, near misses and incidents on real jobsites, using those lessons to improve autonomous compaction for the entire network. The fleet has autonomously issued a safety stop more than 100,000 times for nearby people, vehicles, equipment, cones and grade stakes
