A fleet of autonomous road rollers has completed what is claimed to be the world’s first asphalt road construction, on the Panda Expressway between Sichuan and Yunnan Province in China.
 
Chinese construction machinery manufacturer XCMG has revealed its autonomous road roller following tests at the end of May. It jointly developed the autonomous machine with the Sichuan Railway Investment Group and Tsinghua University.
 
The autonomous road roller made its debut along the Panda Expressway, which is under construction between Panzhihua, Sichuan Province, and Dali, Yunnan Province.
 
“Over 81% of Panda Expressway consists of bridges and tunnels, making it one of China’s key smart transportation infrastructure projects,” said Cui Jisheng, general manager of XCMG. “Enhancing road quality and safety through efficient construction and reduced cost were key priorities in our collaboration to develop an autonomous road roller. Our success here shows great promise for the technology’s industrialisation, and will accelerate the development of smart transport infrastructure.”
 
Before setting out and before the test began, a remote monitoring data centre first identified the optimal route and process. Instructions were then transmitted to the on-board control system, enabling the road roller to operate autonomously under complex conditions, with a precision of 2 to 3cm.
 
The self-driving road roller is equipped with various safety measures and a real-time monitoring system that can sound warnings, conduct an emergency stop, enter and exit sites automatically, and avoid obstacles.
 
In 2018, XCMG signed a strategic agreement with the Sichuan Railway Investment Group and Tsinghua University to deepen cooperation in the field of autonomous road construction. Since then, the three parties have applied for nine domestic patents, namely three for inventions and six for utility models and technology.
 
With this achievement, the partnership will continue, focusing on the R&D and implementation of smart transportation development strategies and the development of mobile 5G communications base stations.
 
XCMG is a multinational heavy machinery manufacturing company with a history of 77 years. It ranks fourth in the world’s construction machinery industry. The company exports to more than 183 countries and regions around the world.