The use of UGVs in the private sector presents significant challenges across jurisdictions due to the complexity of the physical environments in which UGVs operate and the heightened potential for liability due to the uncertainty of UGV operations. The EU AI Act as adopted, coupled with recent revisions to the EU Product Liability Directive, presents legal risks for UGV manufacturers, software developers and cloud companies whose products or services reach the EU market. What factors should companies keep in mind for testing and product development? This discussion outlines key issues to consider in assessing your product calculus.

What the audience will learn

• Dynamic factors to consider when determining a safety case for UGV testing and deployment
• The potential impact of liability frameworks developing at international levels
• Complexities presented by AI for traditional liability frameworks, including concepts of causation, agency and foreseeable harm

Per Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-79-20, Assembly Bill 32 and Senate Bill 32, California is heading rapidly toward a zero-emissions landscape and cleaner air. The presentation will provide an overview of the California Air Resources Board’s existing and planned off-road zero-emissions programs. These include the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE), advanced technology off-road demonstrations, transportation refrigeration unit regulation, zero-emission provisions of the in-use off-road diesel regulation, small off-road engine regulations, the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard, the zero-emissions forklift regulation and the upcoming Targeted Manufacturer Rule. Also discussed will be some interesting examples of deployments of zero-emission off-road equipment.

What the audience will learn

• Off-road zero-emission equipment provides a way to cut both criteria and greenhouse gas emissions, often while providing savings on fuel
• California has ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets and an executive order, which are rapidly pushing the state to zero emissions
• California is pursuing numerous carrots and sticks to encourage the transformation to zero-emission technology, including funding demonstrations, providing incentive funding and facilitating infrastructure expansion

Global trends and increasing geo-political uncertainty impact the overall off-highway industry. Volatility impacts markets and makes market volumes difficult to predict which drives the need for increased organizational flexibility and agility as well as reduced break even points. In addition, technological transition such as autonomy, digitalization and electrification change business models for fleet operators and challenge OEMs to invest in sometimes unproven technologies with unclear timelines. A good understanding of customer operations and identification of related value creation opportunities is key for increased profits and organizational resilience.

What the audience will learn

• Overview of market trends in key geographies
• Challenges and opportunities of technological transitions, e.g., electrification
• Impact of geo-politics on the business, e.g., supply chain resilience
• Need for cost efficient operations

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) has been involved with several pilot/demonstration sites using battery-electric construction machines, with the primary objective of understanding how these machines fit existing duty cycles and practices. In addition, Volvo CE has placed these units in applications where operation with a traditional diesel machine is impractical or impossible. Dr. Gallant will discuss the learnings and challenges through these pilot trials, and compare them to traditional internal combustion equivalents. The state of the technology relative to these applications will be discussed, as well as necessary improvements, alternate technologies, and changes to the site/application workflow that may make these technologies more viable.

What the audience will learn

• Review upcoming technologies in Off-road equipment sustainable power and where they will likely appear
• Compare and contrast the results from select 2023/24 technology pilots with traditional ICE equivalent models
• Discuss the concept of the “worksite as a factory” to illustrate the challenges in scaling these technologies and the support infrastructure
• Proposed steps for site-level pilots and trials

Tesla created the software-defined vehicle, without calling it that. While electrification is a significant attribute of Tesla's cars, what makes a real difference is the software-first approach. Topics like continuous integration, over-the-air software updates and agile engineering are the real reason why Tesla took over significant market share in the world of cars. This presentation details what approaches Tesla took to challenge the status quo, and what can be learned from it and transferred into the iVT world.

What the audience will learn

• Continuous integration and validation
• Agile engineering
• Over-the-air software updates and telematics

Thermal management for electrified off-highway vehicles is more complex than for their ICE predecessors. The lithium-ion battery packs in the EV have to maintain a narrow temperature window, unlike ICE vehicles, and a battery thermal management system (BTMS) is needed to ensure the battery maintains the optimal temperature range. There are several key considerations that go into selecting and integrating a BTMS for electric off-highway machinery, and integrating the right BTMS will have an impact on the electric vehicle's battery performance, range and longevity. Attend this session to better understand how to maximize battery lifespan with a BTMS.

What the audience will learn

• Chemical reactions and battery basics
• What to consider when selecting a battery thermal management system (BTMS)
• How to determine charge conditions
• How to optimize duty cycles
• How a battery thermal management system (BTMS) works

The technology within the construction industry is rapidly evolving, enabling contractors and equipment operators to accomplish more thanks to cutting-edge advances. This presentation will explore the design shift toward electric machinery, highlighting how new innovations will redefine the construction equipment landscape. It will discuss benefits beyond sustainability, as electric machines often not only rival their diesel counterparts in performance but surpass them. You will hear how an electrified platform can bring a host of new features and increased performance. The presentation will dispel common misconceptions and spark a newfound curiosity about the many additional benefits these groundbreaking advancements bring to equipment owners and operators. By embracing these transformative developments, operators can achieve increased power, performance, comfort and sustainability. Join us to discover how the future of construction technology is being reshaped to provide new solutions for the construction industry.

This presentation delves into cutting-edge methodologies and strategies for collecting and utilizing hydraulic data to drive significant performance improvements at both system and machine levels. With the advent of sophisticated sensors and advanced data analytics, hydraulic systems – integral to a vast array of industries, from manufacturing to construction and beyond – are now at the forefront of technological innovation and efficiency optimization.

What the audience will learn

• The focus will be on the latest techniques in hydraulic data acquisition, including the use of IoT-enabled devices
• How data, once collected, can be analyzed and applied to identify inefficiencies, predict system failures and reduce downtime
• Case studies demonstrating the successful application of these strategies in various sectors, showcasing tangible improvements in performance metrics