Trimble Dimensions+ was a packed event with nearly 6,000 attendees representing 62 nations around the world, the largest Dimensions event the company has thrown.
With an exhibit hall featuring some of Trimble’s partners and other organizations in the construction technology space, an impressive off-site expo allowing for first-hand looks at some of the hardware innovations from the Trimble team, and a vast array of speaker sessions covering everything from reality capture to autonomy to software workflows and plenty more, there was plenty to take in and take home from this event.
Following are just a few of the biggest takeaways from this three-day event.
1. All-In on Autonomy
Trimble Dimensions+ highlighted autonomous workflows regarding all areas of a worksite, including reality capture capabilities with drones and robotics, autonomous equipment that can complete projects without workers inside the machine, and software to automatically complete key functions away from the site.
While the Spot the robot was often the headliner for many of the autonomous solutions in the event hall, out at the off-site expo it was autonomous equipment. From an excavator on a man-made lake showing off automated dredging capabilities with the assistance of a remote controlled surveying boat; to autonomous pavers which can work alone in a predetermined area; and drones that could be sent out to complete surveys with Trimble payloads, there was a bevy of autonomous tools on display.
Similarly, with all of the geospatial surveying and reality capture technology on display collecting immense amounts of data, just as important were the autonomous software workflows allowing for key insights to easily be made from this data without arduous and highly technical human intervention.
2. Integrate Wherever Possible
Integration of different products was a major focal point at the Dimensions+ show this year, starting right with the keynote address from the company’s CEO Rob Painter.
One of the big announcements was the integration between Trimble’s solutions and those from Microsoft, allowing for communication with Teams while working together on a solution. Painter also discussed more seamless integration between Trimble solutions, and another one of the company’s big announcements was an integration with their Viewpoint Vista solution and Hilti Group’s ON!Track asset and tool tracking software.
3. Making Remote Work Easier
With the pandemic forcing many into remote workmany of the products on display at Dimensions+ highlighted these changes, and the willingness of Trimble and other companies to adjust with the construction industry to make remote work easier.
The off-site expo featured a bulldozer that was controlled remotely to complete tasks on site. While in this case the remote operator was on site a few hundred yards from the machine, theoretically this technology could allow for machine operators to be located in a different state, or even country.
Many of the Trimble software tools had new features allowing for easier remote collaboration. Whether it be the integration with Teams to allow for that real-time collaboration while being off-site, or visualization tools to simplify designing and inspection away from a site, or design tools with annotation capabilities to ensure seamless collaboration between different stakeholders, it’s clear that Trimble is taking the shift to remote work seriously, and making sure customers can continue to work productively and efficiently even when away from a work site.
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