America Honda Motor announced that the company, along with Black & Veatch, have successfully tested the prototype Honda Autonomous Work Vehicle (AWV) at the latter's construction site in New Mexico.
The automaker said that during the month-long field test, the second-generation prototype of the fully-electric Honda AWV performed a range of functions at a large-scale solar energy construction project, including towing activities and transporting construction materials, water, and other supplies to pre-set destinations within the worksite.
While Honda previously performed testing with an earlier generation of the Honda AWV, this field test was the first to deploy multiple units working collaboratively to support construction use cases, the company said in a press release.
To validate the capabilities of the Honda AWV, the company selected a solar energy construction site where support structures for solar panels are laid out in a grid pattern at regular intervals. The site was an ideal environment to test the ability of the Honda AWV to stop at precise points along a pre-set route.
Honda produced a high-definition map of the 1,000-acre site that allowed Black & Veatch operators to precisely set start and stop points for multiple Honda AWVs using a cloud-based app interface that runs on tablets and PCs. As a result, the vehicles successfully delivered materials and supplies along a calculated route and proved capable of stopping within centimetres of the pre-set points.
The field test also demonstrated the viability of the Honda AWV battery system to support energy-intensive sensors and provide vehicle propulsion while operating for up to eight hours in a high-temperature environment. In addition, the vehicle carried payloads of nearly 900 pounds, and in a separate use case, towing a trailer carrying over 1,600 pounds.
Kenton Williams, US Project Lead for the Honda AWV, said, 'With our test partner, Black & Veatch, Honda was able to demonstrate the performance of our rugged all-electric Autonomous Work Vehicle prototype in a large-scale construction environment. We believe the Honda AWV has the potential to bring greater efficiencies, higher levels of safety and better environmental performance to the construction industry, and to other industries seeking an autonomous off-road solution.'
Mario Azar, President, Black & Veatch's Global Power Business, said, 'Black & Veatch's pursuit of construction innovation and safety on job sites has led us to this relationship with Honda. With our leading market position in solar power, the testing of this new autonomous work vehicle aligns with our focus on advancing the industry through new and innovative ways to work at project sites.'