I realize you came to this looking for a conversation about dirtmoving or road building or even grading and excavation. If we talk about the Super Bowl then we are talking about all of the above.
If you watched Super Bowl 50, you watched something that happens during every televised NFL game. It’s become such a small and simple part of the telecast that hardly anyone realizes the amount of math, science, and engineering that went into creating this essential piece of the game that is typically taken for granted. I’m talking about the yellow first down line that’s projected onto the field.
It’s important to me to know how it’s done just as it’s important to me to know how dirtmoving equipment is capable of doing all of its jobs. I like to know how the technology evolved and how it was integrated into the machine. I like to know the reason for innovation. I like to appreciate when it all comes together.
If you’re not familiar with construction trade show events, expos, or conventions where equipment manufacturers roll out their latest offerings for end users and the trade press to see…let me give you a little inside knowledge from the media’s perspective. A lot of what we do when we attend one of these conventions is to visit with the various manufacturers so that they can give us the specifications and details of the iron they’re showcasing. And more often than not, a product expert will conduct what we call a “walk-around” of the equipment.
He or she will literally walk us around the machine and point out what has been lengthened and where, which hydraulics have been changed or improved, where the cameras are mounted to add safety, how access under the hood has been changed for easier maintenance and et cetera. They can last anywhere from five minutes to half an hour.
Doing these “walk-arounds” is extremely important to us not only because we can report on what the newest machines are capable of and report it to our readers, but we also maintain a solid grasp on the direction in which the industry is headed.
I would suggest the next time you find yourself at one of these events, have one of the product specialists give you a walk-around, even if you’re not in the market to buy any equipment. I would imagine your experience may be slightly different than mine. Or maybe not.
Do it and let’s compare notes.
In the meantime, just in case you didn’t know, here’s a quick video on how the yellow first down line is projected onto the football field.
