Komatsu looks to digital twin technology for space construction

Global construction giant, Komatsu, is working with the Japanese Government to find ways to make construction in outer space possible, through the latter’s newly announced Project for Promoting the Development of Innovative Technologies for Outer Space Autonomous Construction.

The project is lead-managed by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) in collaboration with Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

This Project was initiated by the MLIT in July 2021 as part of its Strategic Program for Accelerating Research, Development and Utilisation of Space Technology (Stardust Program). In its submission, Komatsu is proposing the use of Digital Twin Technology for construction on the moon, and has thus been selected to participate in the program.

Under the leadership of the Council of Promoting the Development of Innovative Technologies for Autonomous Construction, an inter-ministry collaboration body, all selected companies and organisations will now further research and develop their proposed technologies.

Digital twin technology is a concept whereby a virtual replica of a physical object is created to analyse and mirror its physical entity. Accurate data can be exchanged between both entities, and allows the end user to examine the object's performance and condition remotely, as well as control the physical object without being anywhere near it.

At the moment, travel to the moon is still complicated, let alone do work on it, therefore Komatsu believes that digital twin technology is the key to outer space construction, by precisely recreating site conditions and machines in a digital environment.

In order to develop this high precision digital twin technology, Komatsu will first need to conduct a feasibility study. Komatsu aims to create and operate a hydraulic excavator in cyberspace and compare its movements with actual equipment on Earth to verify the simulator's precision. Komatsu will also set the surface conditions of the moon in cyberspace, and analyse the excavator’s movements in the simulator accordingly in order to identify any potential issues they could face in the future with lunar equipment.

This is hardly Japan’s first foray into construction in space, with Japanese construction company Kajima having teamed up with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in the past to build driverless bulldozers that will pave the way for humans living on the moon and on Mars.