Increasingly remote

The operation of machinery via remote controls has typically intended to allow operators to place themselves in the most beneficial position, in terms of safety and view of the work. With the advent of radio remote controls, operators are no longer confined to a stationary control point whether that be at the end of a trailing lead, in a cab, a platform, or at the side of a machine. More recently however it has also begun to take on a slightly wider meaning and purpose.

- 

From the ground up

A new Israeli remote control technology company UltraWis has recently completed its site trials of a remote operating systems for tower cranes called WideSite. We spoke with co-founder Lior Avitan to find out how the company has adopted similar technology used in military combat systems on fighter jets and by helicopter pilots to develop what UtraWis claims is the first remotely operated tower crane system on the market.

Prior to founding UltraWis in 2019 Avitan and Erez Gernitzky spent more than 30 years between them with Israel’s largest defence company Elbit Systems, working on the technology behind its helmet-mounted display systems used by military pilots. Most recently, Avitan was responsible for developing night vision sensor system BrightNite, while Gernitzky spent around 20 years working on imagery processing and algorithms. Given how the move into cranes might not seem like a logical transition, Avitan explains how the idea for WideSite came to him after spotting a tower crane at work while studying for a master’s degree in 2016.

“Each day between my classes I couldn’t help noticing the tower crane, how it was being operated and the deficiencies resulting from its restricted field of view. Right away I knew we could utilise the technology used to help pilots in their cockpits to assist tower crane operators – and that’s when the idea for UltraWis was born.”