Birmingham-based Robins & Morton is teaming with Honda in testing its Autonomous Work Vehicle (AWV) on the construction jobsite. AWVs are rugged, off-road autonomous vehicles designed to increase efficiency through transporting materials from one location to another on the jobsite. The AWVs can work autonomously or by remote control.
Robins & Morton and Honda started collaborating in 2022 to test the AWV on an active construction site and identify ways it could aid construction workers. To date, Honda has completed two week-long field tests at Robins & Morton projects, including its Mayo Clinic patient tower expansion in Jacksonville, Florida, and the CaroMont Regional Medical Center Belmont in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“It’s been a privilege to collaborate in conducting tests with the AWV to increase efficiencies on our project sites and provide insight for our other partners in the building industry,” said David Pratt, director of corporate and operational technology at Robins & Morton.
Testing will continue into 2024, with the two companies working together to identify areas of improvement in the AWV and to test its capabilities.
Honda announced in March that the third-generation AWV will have a greater load capacity of 2,000 pounds with higher speeds, up to 10 miles per hour. Its battery size also has been increased to up to 10 hours. All of the improvements going into the third generation have come from field testing the vehicle at construction sites.
“Robins & Morton is an expert in the construction industry. So right now, for us, we’ll go out, work with them, understand the changes that go on a jobsite, and then also how can we help their business for efficiencies, savings and cost, or any other item that might help them with their job,” said Jason Van Buren, systems engineering manager at American Honda Motor Co.
