CONEXPO attendees experienced the future of soil compaction with BOMAG's remote operation station demo

Attendees at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 experienced complete remote operation of BOMAG's BW 177 DH-5 PL single-drum roller located thousands of miles away in Ridgeway, South Carolina. 

A completely simulated experience gives those operator the roller the same feeling as if they were sitting inside the BW 177's cab. The seat, lever, and controls are experienced exactly as they are in the roller being controlled from off-site, including speed, turning, and vibration. Multiple screens provide the operator with full visibility of the area surrounding the machine, helping to increase operating safety. 

Step inside BOMAG's single drum roller simulator 

Compact, versatile, and highly manoeuvrable, the BOMAG BW 177 DH-5 PL single drum roller excels in the compaction of non-cohesive soils on small to medium-sized applications. With a 14,771-lb (6,700-kg) operating weight, the machine features a 66.5-inch (1,690-mm) rolling width and offers 275 - 549 yd3/h (210 - 429 m3/h) compaction output at lift thicknesses reaching 17.7 in (0.45 m). BOMAG's unique dual pump technology makes it possible for the roller to climb 61 percent grades without vibration and 58 percent with vibration in both forward and reverse travel directions. ECOMODE speed control allows customers to save up to 30 percent on fuel consumption and offers significantly lower operating noise levels.  

The remotely operatoed roller at CONEXPO showed visitors the future of off-site remote machine control. For today's remote machine operation needs, BOMAG offers an on-site radio remote control factory option for the BW 177 DH-5 PL and other select single drum roller models. Offering line of sight remote control from up to 100 yd (91.4 m) away, the ergonomic over-the-shoulder BOMAG controller removes the operator from the cab when needed to increase operating safety. The remote-control console allows the operator to control critical machine functions at a safe distance. A lever located near the operator platform offers quick switching from in-cab to remote-control roller operation. 

"Remote roller operation helps to increase safety at the job site, especially when operating in poor underfoot conditions or nearby ledges," comments Ruben Garcia, BOMAG's product marketing manager for soil, landfill, and light equipment.