Komatsu take part in Stardust programme
Company developing innovative digital twin technology for autonomous construction on the Moon
KOMATSU have been selected to participate in a Japanese project to promote the development of innovative technologies for autonomous construction in outer space.
Managed by the Japanese Government’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MILT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the project is part of MILT’s Strategic Programme for Accelerating the Research, Development and Utilization of Space Technology (Stardust Programme).
Komatsu’s proposal for the development of digital twin technology for lunar construction equipment has been selected as an eligible target technology related to autonomous construction (automation and remote control).
Under the leadership of the Council for Promoting the Development of Innovative Technologies for Autonomous Construction, an inter-ministry collaborative body, all companies and organizations selected to participate will conduct research and development of their individual technologies.
Komatsu will contribute to the advanced research and development of future construction activities in outer space by creating and operating a hydraulic excavator in a cyberspace environment designed to mimic surface conditions on the Moon, to compare the machine’s movements with actual equipment on Earth and identify the issues facing lunar equipment.
The company, which is already working to achieve safe, highly productive, smart, and clean workplaces of the future by advancing products (automation and autonomy of machines) and processes (optimization of construction operations), says it will utilize its accumulated knowledge in the development of digital twin technology for lunar construction equipment.
