Oslo/London – Norwegian-British AI company Hive Autonomy in partnership with Veidekke and Telia, has completed the first trial of autonomous machines in Nordic construction operations. The trial saw a robotic dog and an autonomous wheel loader operating side by side at an active quarry and tunnel site, with all machines controlled and monitored from Veidekke’s headquarters approximately 100 kilometers away.

The pilot project marks a shift in how the construction industry can deploy artificial intelligence to control machines in the physical world.

“We see this as the beginning of a new era for the construction industry,” says Anders Haugen, Executive Vice President at Veidekke Infrastructure. “Autonomous machines have the potential to improve safety, efficiency and sustainability in our operations.”

First Time in Active Operations

This trial represents the first time a quadruped robot and an autonomous wheel loader have operated together in a real industrial environment. Hive Autonomy, founded in Norway and now headquartered in London, develops AI systems that enable different types of machines to work together autonomously.

“What sets this apart from previous demonstrations is that the machines operated at an active construction site, not in a controlled laboratory environment, a clear example of AI enabling autonomous work in the physical world,” says Christoffer Jørgenvåg, CEO of Hive Autonomy.

5G as the backbone

Telia’s 5G standalone network provided critical infrastructure for the pilot. The dedicated network solution delivered the low latency and reliability required for real-time control of autonomous machines.

“This demonstrates the potential of 5G as the next industrial revolution unfolds, where AI combined with robotics enables physical work to be performed autonomously,” says Henning Huuse, Business Developer for 5G at Telia.

Real-time machine control requires a network that delivers low and predictable latency, along with robust coverage wherever the machines operate. Telia’s new 5G SA network provided this connectivity over the public mobile network, extended with dedicated coverage inside the tunnels.

“This is tomorrow’s mobile network, delivered today,” says Huuse.

Pilot Results

The pilot results verify that both functionality and performance in the challenging industrial environment can be achieved safely and efficiently, and that the technology is ready for deployment when the conditions are in place. The parties are now planning further rollout of the solutions for the construction industry.