SOURCE: Equipment World | January 3, 2025
Milling machines and pavers, especially those equipped with 3D machine control, require multiple crew members to keep pace with the machine and manually move total stations as work is completed. It’s a fast-paced job that will wear out even the most conditioned workers by the end of the day.
But a new robot could be coming to help.
It’s called “The Warthog.”
The stout-wheeled unmanned ground vehicle, designed by Clearpath Robotics, is undergoing testing for potential construction applications with Trimble. Multiple units were on display at the company’s recent Dimensions user conference to gauge contractor interest.
When equipped with a Trimble SPS930 Universal Total Station and GNSS receiver, a team of Warthogs can track down the line, leapfrogging each other to stay in communication with the paver or milling machine.
“It knows where it is, and it knows where all the backsights are on the site to be able to resection itself in,” said Kevin Garcia, general manager of Civil Specialty Solutions at Trimble. “We could have a total station on the Warthog guiding the machine, and once the machine gets so far away that we start to lose accuracy, a different total station picks it up to take over.”
Once the initial Warthog hands off total-station control to the next unit, it will drive ahead, pass the milling machine or paver, and alert the other units that it is ready again when needed.
“We’re trying to just take out a task for a human that is repetitive and has no value add,” said Garcia.
Sitech Allegheny Sales Specialist Mike Tyler sees the potential for the product, saying, “Trying to do these guns at 800 feet a clip, you wear somebody out trying to get enough ‘guns’ set up back and forth. This thing would totally eliminate all that. You could do one setup halfway in the middle of two setups and just let these things travel with the milling train. I think it would be fantastic.”
The Warthog can navigate rough terrain, travel at speeds up to 11 mph and carry up to a 600-pound payload.
Flexible payload mounting plates and power and communication ports allow users to customize the Warthog to their needs and modify the configuration as technology changes. An onboard PC comes with the open-source Robot Operating System (ROS) preinstalled and configured.
The Warthog comes with a 100 Ah, 48V Sealed AGM lead acid battery pack, which can be upgraded to a lithium-ion pack allowing for up to 8 hours of runtime. Inboard 5V, 12V, 24V and 48V independently fused power sources can also supply large power-intensive payloads like manipulators and agricultural implements for hours.
Quick Specs
- Dimensions: 4.9 x 4.5 x 2.72 feet
- Base Weight (including battery pack): 620 pounds
- Gross Vehicle Weight: 1,300 pounds
- Max. Payload: 600 pounds
- Ground Clearance: 10 inches
- Max. Speed: 11 mph
- Nominal Runtime: 2.5 hours (lead acid option)/3 hours (lithium-ion option)
- User Power: 24 volt/48 volt optional
- Drivers and APIS: ROS 1 Noetic, ROS 2 Humble
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