The CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017 event marked a turning point for the construction industry with its dedicated Tech Experience pavilion, a 75,000-square-foot exhibition space designed to showcase emerging construction innovations and technologies poised to reshape the sector. For contractors and construction professionals, this was not just another trade show display. It was a working glimpse into how construction technology adoption would transform every phase of project delivery, from autonomous equipment to real-time analytics and wearable safety systems.
Organized by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the Tech Experience featured three key zones: the worksite of the future, the jobs of the future, and the infrastructure of the future. More than 30 exhibitors demonstrated technologies that directly addressed three of the industry’s most persistent challenges: improving safety, increasing productivity, and enhancing profitability. What follows is a detailed look at the most impactful technologies unveiled at the event and what they mean for construction professionals today.
Autonomous Equipment and Intelligent Machine Control
Perhaps the most striking theme at the CONEXPO Tech Experience was the acceleration of autonomous and semi-autonomous heavy equipment. Several exhibitors demonstrated that the shift from conventional operator-controlled machinery to intelligent, data-driven equipment is not a distant possibility but a present reality.
ROBO Industries: Full Autonomy for Heavy Equipment
Houston-based startup ROBO Industries demonstrated its Autonomous and Intelligent Machine Control (AIMC) system, an aftermarket solution that can convert existing heavy equipment into fully autonomous machines. The system integrates sensor packages, control hardware, electronic systems, and AI software to deliver self-driving navigation, accurate operating control, real-time mission planning, and collision avoidance.
Key capabilities of the AIMC system include:
- Self-driving navigation with environment awareness
- Accurate operating control for grading and earthmoving tasks
- Real-time data-based mission planning and adjustment
- Collision avoidance through sensor fusion
- Lower energy consumption through optimized operation
At its exhibit, ROBO featured a demo machine outdoors alongside an indoor field operation video and educational animation. An interactive software program provided attendees with a 3D visualization of a future jobsite populated with autonomous heavy equipment, demonstrating how the system processes data and controls machine movements in real time. This technology directly addresses the skilled operator shortage that continues to challenge the construction industry.
JCA Electronics: Autonomous Control for Components
JCA Electronics took a component-level approach, demonstrating how electronic control systems can be applied to individual heavy equipment functions. Visitors to its booth could drive a model bulldozer with a ripper attachment using a phone or tablet, experiencing how mapping tools, environmental information, data logging, and sensor feedback can enhance both operation and maintenance.
The company emphasized three stakeholder benefits: operators gain better control and efficiency, site managers receive real-time operational data, and OEMs get prognostic information for effective maintenance scheduling. This layered approach means that even without full machine autonomy, contractors can implement smart control systems on existing fleets incrementally.
Georgia Tech: Improving Operator Interfaces
The Georgia Institute of Technology brought a research perspective, showcasing novel human operator interfaces for heavy equipment. Its simulation of a trenching task demonstrated that improved interfaces can reduce operator errors, shorten training time, save fuel, and enhance overall performance without significantly increasing equipment cost. Importantly, these legacy-compatible interfaces mean existing machinery can benefit from modern control science without a complete fleet overhaul.
Real-Time Analytics, IoT, and Data-Driven Jobsite Management
A second major category at the Tech Experience was the convergence of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, cloud platforms, and analytics engines to deliver actionable intelligence directly from the jobsite. These technologies address the growing problem of data fragmentation, where valuable information is generated but never consolidated into usable insights.
SiteTrax.io by Netarus: Consolidating Big Data
Netarus released the first beta version of SiteTrax.io at the event, an analytics engine that captures video and imagery from virtually any camera system and generates high-resolution photos, 3D point clouds, and digital surface maps. Powered by Pix4D’s analytics engine, the platform aggregates information from Netarus’s HoistCam camera system into a single processing pipeline.
The practical applications are significant:
- Construction managers can monitor site evolution with up-to-date measurements
- Earthwork management becomes more efficient through automated progress tracking
- Detailed virtual inspections reduce the need for physical site visits
- Historical data supports claims documentation and dispute resolution
As Chris Machut, chief technology officer of Netarus, explained, the industry is being flooded with data from drones, cameras, and sensors. SiteTrax.io positions itself as the consolidation platform that connects video to analytics, providing what he called the “glue” that makes real-time actionable data available to the industry.
Redpoint Positioning: Wearable Safety with Indoor GPS
Redpoint Positioning Corp demonstrated wearable safety technology that tracks worker locations with up to 8-inch accuracy in environments where traditional GPS does not function. Its safety vest, embedded with integrated location tags and flashing LED lights, generates cloud-based tracking information and geo-fencing alerts. This gives contractors real-time visibility into operations, worker locations, asset positions, and tool whereabouts.
The system addresses two core contractor needs simultaneously: safety and operational efficiency. When a worker enters a pre-defined virtual safety zone, the vest’s warning lights activate, providing an immediate visual alert that complements the digital notification sent to the site supervisor.
Pillar Technologies: Environmental Monitoring
Pillar Technologies showcased an end-to-end environmental monitoring solution that measures seven different environmental metrics across the jobsite using a smart sensor network. The system targets builders’ risk and construction defect challenges including fire outbreak detection, leak detection, and mold growth conditions. The company reported a 900% return on investment during product testing, underscoring the financial case for proactive environmental monitoring on active construction sites.
| Technology Area | Exhibitor | Key Capability | Primary Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autonomous Equipment | ROBO Industries | Aftermarket AIMC system for full autonomy | Solves operator shortage, improves precision |
| Component Control | JCA Electronics | Phone/tablet-based equipment control | Incremental automation for existing fleets |
| Analytics Platform | Netarus SiteTrax.io | Multi-source data consolidation with 3D mapping | Real-time as-built tracking and inspection |
| Wearable Safety | Redpoint Positioning | Indoor GPS vest with geo-fencing | Worker location awareness and hazard alerts |
| Environmental Monitoring | Pillar Technologies | 7-metric smart sensor network | Fire, leak, and mold risk mitigation |
| Asset Management | Hilti ON!Track | Digital tool and equipment tracking | Reduced loss, automated compliance checks |
| Fleet Management | Zonar Connect | ELD-ready tablet ecosystem for fleets | Compliance, safety, and efficiency monitoring |
| Operator Training | Ditch Witch VR Simulator | Immersive HDD training in virtual reality | Faster, safer operator onboarding |
Virtual Reality, Wearables, and the Changing Role of the Construction Workforce
The Tech Experience also highlighted how technology is reshaping the construction workforce itself, not by replacing workers but by augmenting their capabilities, improving their safety, and accelerating their training.
Ditch Witch Virtual Reality Training Simulator
Ditch Witch introduced a virtual reality horizontal directional drilling (HDD) training simulator that fully immerses trainees into a realistic jobsite environment. Trainees sit in a virtual cab, use joystick controls to operate the drill, and navigate real-life HDD scenarios. This technology addresses a critical industry bottleneck: the shortage of qualified HDD operators. By leveraging familiar VR technology, Ditch Witch makes training more engaging for younger workers entering the market while expanding beyond traditional online and classroom instruction.
Volvo CE Co-Pilot and Electric Site Research
Volvo Construction Equipment demonstrated its Co-Pilot interface, which delivers Load Assist, Intelligent Compaction with Density Direct, and the newly introduced Dig Assist directly inside the cab. These tools provide real-time guidance to operators, helping every operator perform at their best regardless of experience level.
Volvo also showcased a scale model of its electric site research project, which replaces diesel power with electricity for construction equipment. The project includes an autonomous battery-electric load carrier, a hybrid wheel loader, and a cable-connected excavator. For contractors watching fuel costs and emissions regulations, this points directly toward a future where electrification and autonomous equipment trends converge to reshape the entire jobsite energy model.
MuHu ADAS Driver Safety App
MuHu’s Advanced Driver Assistance System uses smartphone cameras, image processing, and in-vehicle networking to proactively prevent accidents. The app streams live video to a web portal for fleet managers and provides analytics on driver behavior. The demonstration underscored how machine learning and connected vehicle technology are becoming accessible through the devices that workers already carry, lowering the barrier to adoption for small and mid-sized contractors.
Asset Management, Fleet Optimization, and the Connected Jobsite
The third pillar of the Tech Experience focused on giving contractors visibility and control over their physical assets, from handheld tools to entire fleets. These solutions address the inefficiencies that arise when equipment location, maintenance status, and operator certification information exist in separate silos.
Hilti ON!Track Asset Management
Hilti’s ON!Track asset management system provides contractors with real-time visibility into who has their assets, where those assets are located, and how they move between warehouses and jobsites. The system also enables proactive management of repairs, inspections, and operator certifications.
Key operational benefits include:
- Reduced asset loss through continuous tracking
- Automated maintenance reminders based on usage data
- Verification of operator training and certifications before tool assignment
- Lower liability costs through documented compliance
For contractors managing hundreds or thousands of tools across multiple projects, the ROI of a digital asset management system compounds quickly through reduced replacement costs and improved utilization rates.
Zonar Connect Fleet Management
Zonar’s Connect tablet and software ecosystem delivers management tools for commercial vehicle operations spanning compliance, safety, and efficiency. The platform is ELD-ready and AOBRD self-certified, helping fleets avoid hours of service violations and maintain low CSA scores. As electronic logging requirements took effect in December 2017, this technology became essential for any contractor operating commercial vehicles.
The platform’s scalable architecture means contractors can start with basic compliance tracking and expand into advanced features like Electronic Verified Inspection Reporting (EVIR) and custom app integration as their needs grow. This modular approach aligns with how most smart construction products are being designed for the market, allowing firms to adopt technology at a pace that matches their operational readiness and budget.
HBC-radiomatic Radio Control Systems
HBC-radiomatic demonstrated the radiomatic photon, a radio control system that streams live video from a machine-mounted camera to a color display on the operator’s control unit. This allows operators to see into blind spots and hard-to-access areas without leaving their position. Visitors could control a scale model bulldozer through a series of challenging tasks, experiencing firsthand how remote control technology can improve both safety and precision on complex jobsites.
Looking back at the CONEXPO 2017 Tech Experience, it is clear that the technologies showcased were not experimental curiosities but working solutions that have since become integral to modern construction practice. The shift toward autonomous equipment, real-time analytics, wearable safety systems, and connected asset management continues to accelerate. For construction professionals, the question is no longer whether these technologies will take hold but how quickly they can integrate them into their robotic and automated site security and operational workflows to remain competitive in an industry that is being digitally transformed from the ground up.