RodRadar provides an integrated ground-penetrating radar system for excavator buckets that detects underground utilities in real-time during excavation. This technology alerts operators to buried assets, preventing costly damage and project delays.
Funding
$6M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
BMFounders
Product
Problem
Excavation projects frequently result in accidental damage to underground utility infrastructure, leading to significant costs, project delays, safety hazards, and environmental impact. Existing methods for utility detection often rely on outdated documentation, surface-level scans, or manual locating techniques that are insufficient for identifying all buried assets, especially in complex environments. This leaves operators with incomplete information, increasing the risk of costly and dangerous strikes.
Solution
RodRadar provides the Live Dig Radar® (LDR) Excavate™ system, a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) solution integrated directly into excavator buckets. This technology offers real-time, on-site detection of underground utilities as excavation progresses, providing immediate alerts to the operator. By embedding GPR sensors and processing electronics within the bucket, LDR Excavate™ delivers actionable insights directly to the operator's cabin via the LDR Visualize™ tablet. This system enhances excavation safety and efficiency by enabling operators to proactively avoid utility strikes, thereby reducing damage, downtime, and associated costs. The accompanying LDR Insights™ platform further supports project management by centralizing scan data and reports for comprehensive analysis and record-keeping.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes construction companies, excavation contractors, utility companies, and infrastructure maintenance firms that perform ground-disturbing activities.
Features
- **Integrated GPR System:** Ground-penetrating radar sensors and processing electronics are embedded directly into excavator digging buckets for real-time subsurface scanning.
- **Real-time Operator Alerts:** The LDR Visualize™ tablet provides immediate visual and audible alerts within the excavator cabin upon detection of underground utilities.
- **Multi-Utility Detection:** Capable of detecting various utility types, including power, communications, fiber optics, water, wastewater, oil, and gas lines, across different soil conditions.
- **Depth and Position Indication:** Provides operators with information on the approximate depth and location of detected utilities relative to the bucket.
- **Adaptive Scanning:** The system continuously scans with each excavation pass, focusing detection on the immediate area of the bucket's activity.
- **Robust Bucket Design:** Engineered to withstand harsh excavation environments and available in various sizes to fit a range of excavator classes.
- **Easy Installation:** Designed for straightforward integration with existing or new excavator equipment using standard attachment interfaces.
- **Cloud-Based Data Management:** The LDR Insights™ platform offers centralized storage, analysis, and reporting of all excavation scan data and alerts.
- **Mobile Data Capture:** The LDR Capture™ mobile application allows field teams to access scan data, record utility information, and attach site images.