OSHKOSH—JLG Industries, Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company and global manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and telehandlers, entered a developmental partnership with RE2 Robotics, a leading developer of intelligent robotic mobile manipulation systems.
The collaboration is intended to advance the integration of robotics with access equipment to deliver improved operator safety and enhanced productivity on job sites.
“Robotic technologies have long been used in a variety of industries,” says Frank Nerenhausen, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, JLG Industries. “The productivity imperative, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, have accelerated the need for and adoption of robotic technologies beyond the factory floor. In fact, a large focal area in construction and industrial applications today is remote operation of equipment that keeps workers out of harm’s way.”
Nerenhausen said JLG is focusing on developing solutions that integrate with its lifts to help offset labor shortages and provide assistive technologies.
RE2 was recently awarded a project by the US Department of Energy to develop a robotic solar field construction system for the outdoor autonomous manipulation of photovoltaic panels. JLG is supplying engineering support during the technology development phase of the project.
“The future of work is here,” says Jorgen Pedersen, RE2’s President and CEO. “Humans and robots are working more closely together, and the construction industry is no exception. Our developmental partnership with JLG will enable us to apply our proven robotic technology to specific applications, including those that require working at height and repetitive lifting such as solar field construction.”
Nerenhausen and Pedersen said a concept machine is forthcoming, with demonstrations planned to gather additional feedback in the near future.
For more information, visit JLG.com.
