Every year, the small town of Dobris, around 40 minutes away from the Czech capital of Prague, comes alive with the buzz and hum of numerous pieces of Bobcat compact equipment, digging, trenching, lifting, loading and generally running about on a specially prepared “demonstration area”, where the compact equipment specialist shows off its latest kit to customers, dealers, suppliers and the media at its Bobcat Demo Days.
A part of Bobcat’s EMEA headquarters campus at Dobris, which includes its EMEA factory, its Innovation Centre for research and development, and the customer centre where the Demo Days take place, the event has been welcoming guests from Europe, the Middle East and Africa for several years now, as the company reaches out to what it describes as its wider ‘family’.
This year, Bobcat hosted more than 700 customers, dealers, suppliers and journalists from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at its Doosan Bobcat EMEA campus in Dobris, Czechia, for the Bobcat Demo Days 2024, with the brand’s annual customer outreach programme and showcase taking place from May 21 to June 5.
Attendees receive unprecedented access to the organisation’s comprehensive equipment line-up over a series of 10 intense full-day experiences as Bobcat Demo Days 2024 offered participants an opportunity to get up close and personal with several of the manufacturer’s cutting-edge innovations, such as the TL25.60e electric telehandler concept, the RogueX2 concept loader, Operator Presence technology, the Pedestrian Detection Camera, and next-generation Digital Access software.
Demo Days provides insights into Bobcat
Launched in the EMEA region in 2011, Bobcat Demo Days allow invited guests to gain insights into the manufacturer’s latest advancements through hands-on time with machines and in-depth factory tours. This year’s edition featured more than 90 demo models, including Bobcat’s brand-new line-up of material handling units, skid-steer loaders, compact track loaders, compact wheel loaders, mini-excavators, telehandlers, ground maintenance equipment, light compaction models and more.
Jan Moravec, Vice President of Product, Bobcat EMEA, said: “Bobcat Demo Days 2024 allows visitors to gain firsthand experience of our latest innovations, products, attachments and services, while providing a golden opportunity for our team members to engage with Bobcat’s community from all over the EMEA region.
“These invitation-only events are among the most anticipated fixtures in our annual calendar, and we enjoyed giving this year’s guests some hands-on time with our full equipment line-up.”
Industry-leading innovations
Bobcat Demo Days 2024 showcased a number of cutting-edge, industry-leading innovations, including the manufacturer’s TL25.60e electric telehandler concept. The model, which is still in development and not yet commercially available, has a rated capacity of 2.5 tonnes and a lifting height of almost 6m, matching the performance offered by its diesel-powered equivalent.
With three separated electric motors designed to maximise efficiency, a hydrostatic transmission to boost performance, a maximum speed of 25kmh and the same super-compact dimensions as the conventional Bobcat TL25.60, the cutting-edge electric concept delivers low noise levels, minimal operating costs and impressive versatility. This was the first time that Bobcat gave customers and partners the opportunity to get hands-on time with its TL25.60e concept.
Attendees were also given the opportunity to experience Bobcat’s transparent OLED (T-OLED) screen technology, which has been developed in collaboration with LG and BSI Research. T-OLED enables operators to access an array of functionality without taking their eyes off the worksite, offering unparalleled clarity, responsiveness and visibility. It also has the capacity to facilitate a range of more advanced applications, such as real-time virtual reality (VR) simulations for utility line mapping.
The RogueX2 concept skid-steer loader was another innovation on display at Bobcat Demo Days 2024, although attendees were not able to climb into the machine’s cab as it doesn’t have one. This autonomous, all-electric model has been built as a proving ground for technologies developed as part of Bobcat’s innovation roadmap, offering a glimpse of how future generations of loaders will facilitate an entirely new work experience for users.
Vijay Nerva, Innovation Lead, Bobcat EMEA, commented: “The RogueX2 produces zero emissions thanks to its lithium-ion battery, electric drive system and electric-actuated lift and tilt kinematics with no hydraulics. A follow-up to the RogueX, which we introduced at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023, the RogueX2 is a skid-steer version that features wheels instead of tracks to optimise its electric battery runtime, and its axial flux motors deliver incredible tractive effort.”
Bobcat’s Operator Presence technology
Bobcat also used this year’s event to showcase its Operator Presence technology, a concept that is currently being developed for excavator models. Operator Presence leverages a 3D time-of-flight (ToF) camera – advanced technology more commonly utilised in emerging sectors such as autonomous vehicles, robotics, gesture recognition and virtual reality (VR) – to enhance safety by monitoring users’ movements and the wider cabin environment.
By actively tracking the operator’s presence and interactions within the cabin, the system can prevent unintended machine actions, ensuring a safer work environment – especially in close quarters. It can also detect multiple occupants, instantly disable workgroups to avoid accidents and recognise when a joystick is released, deactivating the associated workgroup while maintaining drive. These proactive safety measures are designed to minimise the risk of accidents, improve operator control and, ultimately, enhance overall worksite efficiency.
Guests at Bobcat Demo Days 2024 were able to witness Bobcat’s Pedestrian Detection Camera in action. The device’s software is able to differentiate between humans and their surroundings thanks to its AI-enabled processing capabilities, helping to eliminate unnecessary operator alerts.
The innovation’s database is also able to identify humans in different postures and positions, including standing, kneeling, crouching, sitting, with their backs turned, and even when they are only partially visible.
Bobcat also showcased its Digital Access software, an advanced system that allows operators to use smartphones as ‘keys’ to specific machines, providing an alternative to existing passcode entry functionality while ensuring units understand the preferences of their users before they begin work. In addition, this innovation enables fleet owners to lock out certain functionality or attachments in line with the respective skillsets of their employees.
These six innovations are the latest in a long line of advanced solutions that Bobcat has developed to enable its customers to accomplish more.
Bobcat Demo Days 2024 also featured a selection of recently introduced machines, including the M-Series S630 and S650 Stage V skid-steer loaders, which have been developed for use in European markets. The models’ D24 engines, which feature Bosch fuel-injection systems, deliver superior performance while adhering to strict emission regulations, enabling attendees to see Bobcat’s long-standing commitment to sustainable operations in action.
New telehandlers in action
This year’s event featured the new line-up of Bobcat rotary telehandlers, which deliver unrivalled visibility thanks to the manufacturer’s patented panoramic cab. The latest range comprises nine Stage V models with lifting heights of between 18-39m that have been designed for European markets, and four Stage IIIA machines with lifting heights of 18-26m that have been developed for use in the Middle East and Africa.
Bobcat’s PG40 and PG50 generators were also on display in Dobris this year. The units represent a leap forward in portable power solutions, offering a selection of advantages such as optional running gear for easy transportation and ‘Liquid Heat’, a low-load management system designed to reduce downtime and deliver peace of mind. Powered by Stage V HDI D24 engines, the eco-conscious models build on the success of their predecessors by delivering a combination of increased power and lower fuel consumption.
The PA12.7v compressor was another item that made an appearance at Bobcat Demo Days 2024. The portable variable pressure compressor utilises a FlexAir system, which allows it to operate in the range of 5.5 to 12.1 bar, offering free air deliveries of 5.2 to 7m3 per minute. As a result, the PA12.7v is suitable for a wide range of applications, making it one of the most versatile air compressors on the market.
In addition to this, Bobcat demonstrated how its construction line-up is delivering even greater levels of sustainability to users. The manufacturer’s mini-excavators, skid-steer loaders, compact track loaders, compact wheel loaders, telehandlers, rotary telehandlers, mini track loaders and forklifts have been approved for use with HVO biofuel and other EN 15940 standard paraffinic fuels.
Bobcat Demo Days 2024 represented an unprecedented opportunity for attendees to gain firsthand experience of the company’s full equipment line-up in one place.
“We were immensely excited to welcome our guests to Dobris this year, as they had an unprecedented opportunity to get hands-on time with Bobcat’s newly expanded range,” Jan Moravec added.
He added that the Bobcat team “has introduced a diverse selection of models over the past 12 months”, and the team at Dobris was happy to give “our customers and partners the chance to try out Bobcat’s latest advancements in person”.