Joel Honeyman, Bobcat’s vp for international innovation, talks candidly concerning the groundbreaking new expertise the OEM is engaged on and explains why, nonetheless superior the machine is, it’s vital by no means to lose sight of its main features – digging holes and shifting issues round
We meet Joel Honeyman, Bobcat’s international director of innovation, on the busy and noisy Bobcat stand at Bauma 2025. After introductions, we retreat to the relative quiet of the first-floor hospitality suite for our chat – though by means of the glass doorways onto the balcony we nonetheless can see, in addition to hear, the spectacular Bobcat car demonstration.
Because the skidsteers and observe loaders that type the center of the Bobcat lineup carry out unbelievable vehicular acrobatics to the delight of the crowds, Honeyman tells us concerning the considering and progressive processes behind these machines, in addition to revealing a few of the OEM’s plans for the longer term.
With 28 years of expertise at Bobcat, Honeyman is aware of the OEM in addition to anybody. He has been vp for international innovation for over 9 years, however he began his profession within the firm’s coaching group in 1997, earlier than shifting into gross sales. “I really feel like I’ve an excellent perspective on our clients and what they’re searching for – what’s vital to them,” he says.
On the core of his ethos is not only dreaming up progressive ideas, however constructing them and getting ready the expertise for the market he is aware of so properly. “What we do is, we make issues plausible. That’s the primary factor,” he says. “I’d put our crew up in opposition to anyone’s round, only for taking an idea and making it plausible, not only a PowerPoint presentation, however bodily having the ability to current one thing as a possible answer.”
Business improvements
One eye-catching idea, and former iVT cowl star, is Bobcat’s cabless Rogue X, which was first unveiled at ConExpo in 2023. In step with the OEM’s ethos the applied sciences that have been first showcased on that machine usually are not merely good concepts, however are actually truly discovering their means into manufacturing automobiles.
“That car confirmed an idea we name Collision-Warning and Avoidance. That’s the identical expertise that we’re now commercializing,” says Honeyman. “These idea machines are actually vital for us. We have a look at a whole lot of completely different applied sciences. Now we’re going again and saying, ‘Okay, what are the items that we will apply to our present merchandise?’ The system signifies that if a machine is backing up and it senses an object, it is going to detect that and mechanically cease.”
A second main innovation for the longer term entails autonomous expertise for landscaping: “We’re going to have an autonomous zero-turn mower in america as a restricted launch subsequent 12 months in the direction of the top of 2026.”
The 62in large business mower will differ from residential robotic mowers acquainted in Europe. “Europe has a whole lot of Roomba-style, random mowers,” Honeyman says. “This one, although, you may set a sample that isn’t random. This implies it might mow in stripes and patterns, which is vital within the US. It made sense for that platform to be first in our lineup with full autonomy, as a result of it’s a single utility. Mowers are already going that route.”
On observe for autonomy
Whereas the brand new mower can be Bobcat’s first business, absolutely autonomous and cabless machine, it gained’t be Bobcat’s first foray into autonomous methods. Already obtainable is the battery electrical articulating tractor, the AT450X which was unveiled at CES in 2024 and might function in handbook, distant or autonomous mode, all managed through a cellular utility.
Developed as a part of an ongoing collaboration with San Francisco startup, Agtonomy, the battery-powered AT450X is designed particularly for compact purposes like vineyards and orchards. Utilizing AI, it might study and react to its surroundings – distinguishing crop stems from weeds for exact spraying and detecting objects that require operation to cease.
An progressive function of the AT450X is its skill to function constantly by managing its personal energy wants through a battery-swapping system. When the battery runs low, it mechanically returns to its house base and a totally charged battery could be swapped out for the depleted one, which may in flip be placed on cost.
The AT450X goals to handle labour shortages and improve sustainability. “Farmers work lengthy hours in all kinds of situations,” says Honeyman. “Options just like the AT450X assist make farming significantly extra sustainable and environment friendly by means of digital developments.”
The collaboration with Agtonomy, which guarantees to yield additional improvements sooner or later, is a pure extension of distant methods that Bobcat has been providing for its machines since 2019. These are actually evolving, too, and in such a means that might additionally assist to sort out a scarcity in employees.
“We’re including some completely different options to distant methods,” says Honeyman. “We’re engaged on a gaming controller, which we’ve had a whole lot of requests for. Younger individuals don’t wish to simply sit within the machine, however they wish to do building – so we need to mix gaming with that.” This might even in the future result in one operator controlling a number of machines concurrently in a swarm.
“Our thesis on autonomy doesn’t essentially take away the operator,” says Honeyman. “There are a whole lot of issues that act like autonomy that may perhaps simply assist a present operator be higher, particularly new and novice operators.”
Electrification with goal
In terms of electrification, Bobcat’s T7X tracked loader, which is accessible as we speak, is one thing of a market chief by way of going absolutely electrical and utterly hydraulic-free – changing not solely the engine with a battery but additionally fluid energy with electrical motors. Its companion, the wheeled S7X skidsteer is now being ready for full manufacturing.
However, as with all Bobcat machines, Honeyman is eager to level out that this isn’t simply expertise for expertise’s sake. “Frankly talking, I feel what we’ve realized on this transition to EVs is it must be extra than simply saying it’s sustainable,” says Honeyman. “What are the opposite advantages? Can I get extra energy? Can I get extra precision, extra torque, no matter that could be?
“Sustainability is vital, but it surely has to come back with another advantages as properly, as a result of the client is making some trade-offs, like value and charging. So, you’ve received to provide them one thing a bit of extra. That’s why T7X is so standard – clients say, ‘I can get extra performed, and I can get it performed far more comfortably, with out noise.’”
Trying forward Honeyman sees the three megatrends of electrification, connectivity and automation converging: “Whereas three or 4 years in the past, there was an enormous concentrate on EVs, now we’re seeing extra steadiness with different applied sciences. However we’ve been engaged on all of it, so I be ok with it.”
In the end Honeyman takes a realistic strategy – even whereas coping with a few of the most superior expertise obtainable, he doesn’t lose web site of the identical easy objectives that every one Bobcat clients have. “All our clients dig holes and transfer supplies,” he says. “They do it with completely different supplies and machines, however that’s primarily what they’re all doing. So, what do they need? Properly, they wish to dig the opening quicker and extra precisely. Or they wish to transfer issues safely, and extra comfortably.”
Damaged down like this Honeyman is in a position to make sure that Bobcat’s innovation is at all times sensible, and that it stays grounded in attaining helpful duties extra effectively. He’s additionally capable of carry clear understanding to an accelerating fee of change. “It’s not that arduous,” he smiles.
The innovation course of
Joel Honeyman relies at Bobcat HQ in North Dakota however his international obligations take him all world wide. In significantly Honeyman locations buyer suggestions on the coronary heart of the innovation course of, which entails many web site visits.
“We take out ideas in a short time to our clients to get suggestions immediately,” he says. “We do highway journeys. In reality, my crew is in Omaha, Nebraska, this week. Over three days we’re displaying completely different teams of consumers numerous new improvements that we’re engaged on.”
These periods assist prioritise growth efforts: “Possibly we are going to present them 10 various things after which we ask them for his or her high three, and ask what they could be prepared to pay for them. We will’t fall in love with our personal thought. It’s received to have a goal, and clients need to need it.”
Simplicity is one other essential issue: “It additionally must be easy for the operator, as a result of if it’s not, they only gained’t use it. It doesn’t matter how nice the expertise is. Innovation and expertise is not only concerning the expertise, but it surely’s about that human interplay. The intersection of these two parts is critically vital.
This text first appeared within the June concern of iVT Worldwide
