Teleo deploys dump trucks equipped for supervised autonomy

Construction and heavy outdoor equipment automation systems provider Teleo recently announced it has deployed three articulated dump trucks (ADTs) with Tomahawk Construction in Florida.

Tomahawk is developing land to create a new 700-acre residential community in Naples, Florida. It is also among the many heavy construction companies looking for ways to overcome an ongoing labor shortage within the industry.

Teleo builds autonomous technology for heavy equipment that it said can help address labor shortages in the construction industry. Teleo said it can retrofit any make, model and year of heavy equipment with its technology that enables both teleoperation and supervised autonomy of machines.

Supervised autonomy and teleoperation keeps trucks moving

Tomahawk recently became the first customer to get Teleo’s autonomous capabilities on their machines. When machines are set to autonomous mode, they can perform routine and repetitive tasks on their own, like hauling materials from one point to another. If there are any complex tasks that the autonomous technology cannot yet fully handle, the machine waits for a remote operator to take over.

Tomahawk machine operator Max Bogacz remotely operates three Teleo-equipped ADTs on the Naples jobsite, simultaneously, from a command center 40 miles away in Fort Myers. Bogacz switches between machines with the press of a button.

Max Bogacz, a machine operator for Tomahawk Construction, remotely supervises and operates three Teleo-enabled articulated dump trucks from Fort Myers, Florida. Source: Teleo

“We really have just had a hard time getting people into haul trucks,” said Scott Lyons, Tomahawk owner. “Ever since we have installed Teleo units on the trucks, we haven't had one sitting. It lets us expand who we would typically hire for a haul truck. So today we'll see one operator per three trucks.”

Teleo said its supervised autonomy has made a safer and more accessible work environment for Bogacz. By giving one operator the ability to control three machines at once, Teleo said it is helping Tomahawk and other contractors around the world increase operator safety, and satisfaction.

Autonomous dump trucks will help move 2.2 million cubic yards

The land Tomahawk is developing is the future home of Caymas Naples, a community of 457 single-family homes by Stock Development. Set on 780 acres, the 12 acre campus will feature a 30,000 square foot resort-style clubhouse, sports center, dog park, and numerous other amenities. The community will also feature approximately 280 acres of lakes and 270 acres of preserves.

As part of the development, Tomahawk’s Teleo-equipped dump trucks will help haul more than 2.2 million cubic yards of material from the Naples jobsite, a former mining operation, according to Teleo. The construction company has partnered with Teleo to equip a planned 12 dump trucks for remote operation.