Unicontrol, a Denmark-based manufacturer of 3D machine guidance and remote diagnostics platforms, is making its lower-cost machine control system for excavators, wheel loaders and backhoes available to construction contractors in the U.S.

The company says the intuitive, easy-to-implement system is roughly half the cost of systems currently sold in the U.S.

Developed in cooperation with Danish contractors, Unicontrol's simplified user experience doesn’t require pre-existing technical knowledge. It will take an operator about 30 minutes to learn the system and get digging.

The machine control system features an Android tablet with a customizable interface, fast-tracking sensors, a dual GNSS box and antennas, and a 4G WiFi router. The Unicontrol Cloud allows users to upload design files, share projects between teams and download logged points. Engcon, Steelwrist, Rototilt and SMP tiltrotators are supported by the system.

General functions include:

Operate according to design files

Background files

XML and DXF file formats

Point codes

User-defined job types

User-defined lines and points

Possibility for 2D without GPS

Screen sharing for remote assistance

Bucket calibration

“Companies face tighter cost controls and escalating supply-chain pressures and seek to get more from their technology. Our products are ready to ship now to meet immediate needs,” says Ehsan Ekhlas, co-founder and CCO.

“The construction market is faced with many challenges. Making a cost-effective, easy-to-use 3D machine guidance system available to construction companies alleviates some of that pressure. Developed in collaboration with machine developers, our system ensures ease-of-use and delivers features most important to users,” adds Rich Hilliker, managing director, North America.

In addition to developing a system with an increasingly fast learning curve for operators, Unicontrol has acknowledged that contractors sometimes need specific, configurable features, unique to their operation or region.