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May 28, 2026
Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Head office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and CEO: Toshiro Watanabe; hereinafter referred to as "SHI") has jointly developed two-way voice communication system for hydraulic excavators (hereinafter referred to as "the System") together with Sumitomo Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Isamu Mitsuhashi; wholly owned by SHI; hereinafter referred to as "SCM").
The system is the first of its kind in the construction machinery industry (*1) and, currently patent pending, enables operators inside the cab and those nearby to communicate clearly with each other without the need for external communication devices. This will enhance safety and productivity at worksites where noise and other factors make communication difficult.
[Development Background]
At construction and lifting worksites, communication between operators is often difficult due to noise from machines and the distance between operators inside and outside the cab.
This posed challenges in terms of safety and productivity. At worksites, communication has typically relied on hand signals and radios. However, these methods can lead to accidents due to miscommunication caused by environmental noise or missed signals, as well as the inconvenience of carrying radios.
To address these challenges, SHI and SCM developed the System based on the concept of "enabling hydraulic excavators themselves to support communication".
[Outline of the System]
By integrating voice communication technology into hydraulic excavators, the System enables two-way voice communication between operators inside and outside the cab without the need for external communication devices.
(1) Microphones installed outside The hydraulic excavators capture nearby voices. During that process, the Functionality reduces noise emitted from engines, the environment and other sources, processes human voices so they are easy to hear, and outputs them from speakers inside the cab.
(2) Microphones inside capture the operator's voice and transmit it to the surrounding area through speakers outside the hydraulic excavator.
The combination of both input and output systems enables operators to communicate clearly in real time without relying on radios or hand signals. By employing advanced noise reduction technology designed for operation in running-engine environments, the System ensures clear speech transmission even under real working conditions. This contributes to improved safety in lifting operation and other operations where signaling errors are unacceptable, as well as to reduced operators workload.
[Future Developments]
SHI and SCM will verify the effectiveness of the System at worksites and gather user feedback as they consider a phased rollout. In addition, a hydraulic excavator equipped with the System will be exhibited at the 8th International Construction & Survey Productivity Improvement EXPO (CSPI 2026), which will be held in June 2026. Attendees will be able to experience hearing and speaking inside and outside a hydraulic excavator cab, as well as the innovation and usefulness of the System, for themselves. Going forward, SHI and SCM will continue to develop technologies and services that address challenges at construction sites while responding to user needs and enhancing safety.
●For details on CSPI 2026, please refer to the following link to the event's official website.
Event period: Wed. June 17 to Sat. June 20, 2026
URL: https://cspi-expo.com/ (Japanese Only)
（*1）Source: Survey by SHI and SCM, as of May 2026.
Based on patent research related to relevant technologies and a review of industry-specialized media, and on the finding that no technologies with similar configurations and applications have been identified in the construction machinery field.
