Hitachi is dedicated to construction industry innovation

As part of its LANDCROS brand transition strategy, Hitachi is dedicated to developing industry partnerships that advance construction technology development and implementation. The OEM used CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 as a platform to highlight these partnerships alongside its own technologies. At the Hitachi booth, visitors were invited to try some of these technologies, including automation and voice control, and provide feedback to Hitachi and its partners.

AI agent prototype

Hitachi unveiled Assist Pro, an AI agent prototype developed in collaboration with Ramblr.ai. The Assist Pro prototype app was demonstrated on iOS as an assistant for Hitachi's ZX210LC-7H excavator.

This multi-model AI assistant can process information from equipment operating or technical manuals, promotional literature, equipment or job site images, technical walkaround and promotional videos, or other information sources to generate answers and suggested actions. Hitachi says that this expanded knowledge base allows Assist Pro to provide knowledge about the ZX210-7H that may not be included in technical documentation.

The AI agent was engineered to interpret natural language in text and through voice commands. It then provides technical and operational guidance in a conversational format. The agent evaluates the user's experience level based on their question complexity and provides information suited to their experience. Team members who typically work outside the cab can easily connect with Assist Pro on their phones.

While the prototype runs on iOS, support is planned for additional mobile platforms.

Advanced machine guidance

The ZX210LC-7H Hitachi excavator was equipped with Hitachi Construction Machinery's Solution Linkage Machine Guidance system, which is engineered to give operators more precise control of their machines.

"Machine guidance on excavators is no longer a luxury feature as it's becoming a standard expectation on job sites today," says Tony Carden, technology product manager with Hitachi Construction Machinery Americas. "With Solution Linkage Machine Guidance, we're combining advanced positioning technology with an intuitive design to create a system that enhances operator performance and improves overall project visibility. This is a step forward in our commitment to providing practical technology solutions that increase precision, productivity, and job site control."

The system integrates advanced sensors and positioning technology to provide operators with real-time bucket position data in the cab. By displaying accurate depth, slope, and grade information, the system helps reduce over-excavation and rework.

A web application provides centralized management of equipment and job site data. The system is compatible with all major GNSS base stations, and universal file formats are accepted. It also includes a material volume progress viewer.

Augmented machine guidance and autonomy

Hitachi demonstrated how a retrofit kit from Gravis Robotics can convert the ZX135US-7 13-ton excavator from fully manned to fully autonomous operation.

Gravis' two-tiered approach to automation starts with the Gravis Copilot's real-time surveying that augments an experienced operator's abilities by giving them visualization of the work to be completed. When the operator opens the CAD file, they can see target terrain and boundaries indicating buried utilities. There is no need to slow down for manual depth inspection or utility line exposure.

The second tier of automation is the Gravis Rack retrofit kit. The operator can import a site plan to the excavator, and the excavator can perform repetitive tasks or a predetermined site excavation path without the operator at the controls. Autonomy excels in repetitive, well-defined tasks that don't need moment-to-moment human judgment. The Rack allows a job site to have multiple excavators trenching at the same time with one operator supervising.

Excavator voice control prototype

At the Hitachi booth, DIMAAG conducted customer testing of its voice control technology for mid-size excavators. Voice command reduces distraction by allowing the operator to adjust machine functions, such as the radio or windshield wipers, while keeping their hand on the joystick. The operator can also instruct the machine's front end to move via voice command.

"In construction machinery, voice control is not about novelty, it's about whether we can genuinely reduce operator burden and improve safety in real job site conditions," says Tadashi Nakano, construction products development, Hitachi Construction Machinery. "By working with partners like DIMAAG, we're focusing on identifying where voice interaction truly adds value. This is an important step toward practical, operator-first solutions, while ensuring operation remains reliable, intuitive, and usable even in noisy, offline environments."

Modular battery solution

DIMAAG's integrated electric vehicle technology stack and portable fast-charging system was featured on the 1.7-ton ZX17e electric excavator. The Electric No Compromise Off-Road Ecosystem (ENCORE) platform is engineered specifically for indoor and urban job sites. DIMAGG says this system addresses three essential requirements for electric adoption: all-day operational capacity, safety, and a competitive TCO.

The system is designed to maximize flexibility and utilization. While the ZX17e can house up to six swappable battery modules, it can operate on as few as two, allowing for a "hot-swap" workflow. When paired with DIMAAG's portable charger, which can recharge modules in minutes, this set-up ensures high availability and continuous operation.

Anti-theft technology

At the 2024 Hitachi Construction Machinery Challenge, Veristart Technologies Inc. won under the "Transform Fleet Management" theme.

Veristart's Equipment Access Control combines a cloud application, a mobile application, and a hardware device to give fleet managers control over which personnel can operate which machines. With equipment theft costing the industry hundreds of millions of dollars a year, the system gives equipment owners an added layer of security to protect their investment. The system helps improve site safety by removing machine access from underqualified personnel. Fleet managers can also enforce mandatory pre-start checklist completion to ensure safety procedures are always followed.

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2026 issue of Heavy Equipment Guide.