There exist numerous items that we use in everyday life that were originally developed for military use. The first one to come to my mind is GPS. There’s also the Jeep, microwave ovens, freeze drying, and possibly the best and most useful one of all, duct tape.
Of course, technology like computers and GPS evolved into their current incarnations and can be used in, or built into, any and all kinds of dirt moving equipment. The technological advancements have been game changing. And at this point, no one is really asking what comes after telematics, machine control, grade control, augmented reality, or building information modeling. That’s because we already know the answer—artificial intelligence.
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How far off are we from autonomous dirt moving machines intuitively working with and communicating with each other, completely independent of any human direction or operation? Some manufacturers are starting to develop the technology, but I haven’t seen anything close to what I saw on the TV news magazine, 60 Minutes. This is something you really should take a few minutes to watch; and, as you’re watching, think about how long it would take for the technology to become declassified and make its way into the tools of our trade.
