HD Hyundai XiteSolution, the intermediate holding company for HD Hyundai's construction equipment business, has for the first time deployed an unmanned autonomous excavator that works without human intervention to an actual construction site.
On the 29th, HD Hyundai XiteSolution said it deployed an unmanned autonomous excavator to a construction site of European construction group Kibag together with Gravis Robotics, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based unmanned autonomy specialist.
The equipment is a 22-ton-class mid-size model from HD Construction Equipment, and is fitted with the "Real-X" solution that combines HD Hyundai XiteSolution's smart excavator platform with Gravis's AI autonomy technology.
Going forward, the excavator is scheduled to carry out civil engineering work in unmanned autonomous mode at a construction site in the Tuggen region of Switzerland, digging to a depth of 3 meters, a width of 12 meters, and a length of 1 kilometer.
According to HD Hyundai XiteSolution, the unmanned autonomous excavator equipped with Real-X can achieve an average of 120% productivity compared with manned operation.
This equipment delivery is the result of the "construction equipment autonomy cooperation project" between HD Hyundai XiteSolution and Gravis Robotics. The two companies have continued technical collaboration since signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for construction equipment autonomy demonstration at "Bauma 2025" held in Germany last year.
With the goal of unmanned construction sites, HD Hyundai XiteSolution began developing unmanned autonomy solutions for construction equipment in 2019. Recently, at global construction equipment exhibitions held in Europe and North America, it held equipment demonstrations for customers worldwide featuring machines equipped with "Real-X."
Building on existing European demonstration cases and this supply to a Swiss construction site, HD Hyundai XiteSolution plans to expand global partnerships and gradually increase applications of unmanned autonomous construction equipment.
Kim Pan-young, executive vice president at HD Hyundai XiteSolution, said, "This project is the first step in implementing unmanned autonomous construction equipment technology in the field," adding, "It will enhance safety and productivity at construction sites and serve as a turning point that brings forward the future of the global construction equipment industry."