Hitachi: Applying Emerging Tech to Construction Machinery
Hitachi Construction Machinery is advancing its collaboration with Technological Resources Pty Limited, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, to develop remote operation technologies for its ultra-large hydraulic excavators.
The partnership aims to define the next stage of mining operations by focusing on operator assistance, remote control and partial autonomy for excavation and loading tasks.
The agreement specifies that Hitachi Construction Machinery will lead the technical development, while Rio Tinto will manage the on-site implementation and subsequent evaluation of these systems.
Hitachi Construction Machinery and Rio Tinto intend to build on previous joint initiatives by applying and testing these emerging technologies at Rio Tinto’s mining sites in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Remote operation and autonomy in mining
The continuous nature of mining operations necessitates constant innovation to uphold safety and productivity standards.
Developing remote operation systems for ultra-large hydraulic excavators is a direct response to this need, helping to minimise operational risks and improve efficiency.
Hitachi Construction Machinery, which is set to be rebranded as LANDCROS from April 2027, is developing these remote and partially autonomous systems. Rio Tinto is then integrating them into its fleet of excavators.
Once equipped with the latest control technologies, these machines gather operational data and supply site-specific feedback. This information exchange provides the foundation for refining and scaling remote digging and loading capabilities.
Partial autonomy allows an operator to programme the initial digging position and the dump truck’s loading location, after which the machine can repeat the cycle automatically.
This process reduces the need for manual input while maintaining operational precision and creates opportunities to reduce on-site personnel, enhancing safety through remote management.
By 2030, Hitachi Construction Machinery aims to have established an interoperable platform capable of coordinating multiple partially autonomous excavators across different mine sites.
Accelerating field tests in Western Australia
The collaboration extends previous work between Hitachi Construction Machinery and Rio Tinto, which involved examining the durability of excavator components and trialling operator-assist functions.
The new agreement is designed to accelerate the real-world testing of autonomous functions under a variety of mining conditions.
The varied operational landscape of Rio Tinto’s Pilbara operations makes the area suitable for assessing the robustness and versatility of remote systems. Through this deployment, Hitachi Construction Machinery gathers essential data to refine its technologies and advance toward wider site integration.
Hitachi Construction Machinery and Rio Tinto have stated they will continue field tests under diverse and changing conditions to confirm the performance of the systems. This hands-on partnership reflects a shared objective to transition autonomous features from test systems into standard operational practice.
For Rio Tinto, which already utilises autonomous haulage and drilling systems at scale, integrating hydraulic excavation into its autonomous portfolio supports its broader digital mining strategy.
Developing reliable and open solutions
This development work is part of Hitachi Construction Machinery’s wider business concept, LANDCROS, which centres on creating “reliable and open solutions for our customers” through a flexible and collaborative model.
Hiroshi Kanezawa, Executive Officer and Vice President of the Mining Business Unit at Hitachi Construction Machinery, explained how this next phase aligns with the company’s vision.
"Since entering the mining machinery business in the late 1970s, the Hitachi Construction Machinery Group has led technology innovation for ultra-large hydraulic excavators in the industry," says Hiroshi.
"Our new concept LANDCROS embodies our desires for 'Customer', 'Reliable', 'Open', and 'Solutions' – reliable and open solutions for our customers – and expresses the direction that the Hitachi Construction Machinery Group wishes to take.
"Under this concept, we are confident that open collaboration with Rio Tinto, which has extensive expertise in mining operations, will accelerate the development of highly versatile autonomous operation technologies for the benefit of the whole mining industry."
The strategy to deliver a scalable, open system aligns with wider industry efforts to integrate autonomous equipment from multiple suppliers.
The focus from Rio Tinto on interoperability across its mining systems shows Hitachi Construction Machinery and Rio Tinto are aligned on technology direction and execution.
As remote operation and partial autonomy move beyond the proof-of-concept stage, this collaboration establishes a clear path for ultra-large hydraulic excavators to join the next generation of digitally managed mining fleets.
