Bedrock Operator
Bedrock Robotics · Earthmoving · Shipping since 2025
Last updated: 2026-04
Summary
The Bedrock Operator is a sensor and compute retrofit kit that mounts on the cab of 20-to-80-ton Caterpillar and John Deere excavators, enabling supervised autonomous earthmoving without permanent modification to the host machine. It covers six subtasks within the earthmoving job: mass excavation, trenching, rough grading, backfilling, finish grading, and soil hauling; human oversight is required for all operations. The system has been shipping since 2025, with four confirmed deployments across heavy civil and site preparation projects in Arizona and Texas.
How it works on your site
Site Clearing and Mass Excavation (Cut)
The retrofit kit runs on the host excavator's existing hydraulics, executing autonomous dig-and-load cycles that fill human-operated articulated dump trucks. Onboard cameras, LiDAR, and dual GPS navigate hills, trenches, boulders, and obstacles across active job sites. Human operators continue to drive the dump trucks and manage site logistics outside the geofenced autonomous zone.
Rough Grading and Contouring
The system ingests CAD files and project plans, then executes grading passes to match the design surface model. ML models trained on operational data from multiple projects handle terrain interpretation and grading decisions. The crew defines geofenced zones and monitors the autonomous machine remotely.
Finish Grading
The same CAD-to-surface-model workflow applies to finish grading, where the system shapes terrain to design specifications.
How it worked on other sites
Sundt Construction, 130-acre manufacturing facility
Heavy civil / earthmoving / industrial · Southwest US · Ongoing as of November 2025
- Over 65,000 cubic yards loaded across autonomous truck loading and mass excavation scope.
- Ongoing deployment as of November 2025; autonomous equipment handles roughly 10% of total site utilization.
Sundt Construction, highway expansion
Heavy civil / highway · Phoenix area · At least 1 month, ongoing as of September 2025
- Earthmoving and mass excavation including overnight autonomous shifts with two excavators.
- Director of Innovation stated autonomous system "recovered nearly half the time lost to earlier labour shortages."
Champion Site Prep, Proto-Town prototyping facility
Site preparation / earthmoving · Central Texas · Completed
- Autonomous excavation for facility construction with fleet coordination and work-zone safety testing.
- Completed deployment; first documented Bedrock project outside the primary deployment partner.
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