US-based Bluelight launches autonomous driving retrofit kit for asphalt rollers

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 4, construction machinery automation technology company Bluelight Machines launched its Autopilot autonomous driving retrofit kit for asphalt compaction operations, initially supporting Caterpillar CW16 and CW34 nine-wheel pneumatic tire rollers. The system can control rollers to autonomously complete compaction tasks based on construction parameters preset by operators. It is currently available through dealers and direct sales channels, with product packages including hardware, software subscription, and training priced under $50,000.

Autopilot allows operators to preset the compaction area, machine travel speed, overlap width between adjacent compaction passes, number of compaction passes, and the distance between the roller and the asphalt paver. The system controls the machine to travel along the construction area according to the set parameters and maintains the corresponding work path during compaction. Machines equipped with the autonomous driving kit retain manual operation capability, allowing on-site personnel to switch control modes as construction needs require.

The kit integrates a real-time kinematic GPS (RTK GPS) system, front and rear cameras, an onboard AI processing unit, and electronic steering control devices, and can identify personnel, vehicles, large machinery, traffic cones, and marker posts within the construction area. Operators can control and monitor the system via mobile devices with web browsers, with commonly used terminals including iPhone and iPad. According to data published by Bluelight, kit installation takes less than two hours, and more than 90% of components are shared with its existing soil compaction equipment and articulated dump truck automation kits.

US construction contractor Granite has already used the system in Arizona, while C.W. Matthews Contracting has applied it to the I-285 highway renovation project in Georgia. Granite had previously collaborated with Bluelight on autonomous soil compaction operations for more than a year. Juan Gasca, paving foreman at C.W. Matthews, said that with the automated compaction system, the construction team can assign more personnel to on-site tasks such as paver screed operation.

Global business data published by Bluelight shows that its existing autonomous driving retrofit systems have been deployed on nearly 200 pieces of construction machinery, covering more than 300 construction sites in 11 countries across five continents. The equipment has cumulatively completed approximately 1.9 billion square feet of autonomous soil compaction work, with more than 100,000 automatic safety stops. These figures cover the company's existing soil rollers and other automated construction machinery, and are not application results independently achieved by the newly launched asphalt roller kit.

The Autopilot asphalt roller retrofit kit is now available for purchase, subscription, and rental, and the company plans to expand compatible equipment models based on customer demand. Existing public reports have not yet disclosed independent sales figures for the new kit, specific customer procurement amounts, or third-party test metrics for asphalt compaction quality.