Fleet of Autonomous Road Rollers Completes the The World’s First Asphalt Road Construction

XCMG (SHE:000425), the leading Chinese construction machinery manufacturer, revealed its autonomous Road Roller following successful tests held at the end of May (2020). XCMG jointly developed the autonomous road roller with the Sichuan Railway Investment Group and Tsinghua University. The autonomous Road Roller made its debut along the Panda Expressway, which is currently under construction between Panzhihua, Sichuan Province and Dali, Yunnan Province on June 10 (2020).

Fleet of XCMG Autonomous Road Rollers Completes the The World’s First Asphalt Road Construction – Panda Expressway between Sichuan and Yunnan Province.

XCMG is a multinational heavy machinery manufacturing company which has been operating for 77 years. It currently ranks fourth in the world’s construction machinery industry. The company exports to more than 183 countries and regions around the world.

Cui Jisheng, General Manager of XCMG Road Machinery said “Over 81% of Panda Expressway consists of bridges and tunnels, making it one of China’s key smart transportation infrastructure projects. Enhancing road quality and safety through efficient construction and reduced cost were key priorities in our collaboration to develop an autonomous road roller. Our success here shows great promise for the technology’s industrialization, and will accelerate the development of smart transport infrastructure.”

A remote monitoring data center first identified the optimal route and process before the test began. Instructions were then transmitted to the onboard control system, enabling the road roller to operate autonomously under complex conditions, with a precision of 2-3cm.

The self-driving road roller is equipped with various safety measures and a real-time monitoring system which can sound warnings, conduct an emergency stop, enter and exit sites automatically and avoid obstacles.

Since XCMG signed a strategic agreement with the Sichuan Railway Investment Group and Tsinghua University in 2018 to deepen their cooperation in the field of autonomous road construction, the three parties have applied for nine domestic patents – three for inventions and six for utility models and technology.

The partnership will continue, focusing on the R&D and implementation of smart transportation development strategies and the development of mobile 5G communications base stations.