At a glance – Bobcat’s 2024 Demo Days

Bobcat Demo Days is underway in Czechia. (Image: Bobcat)

The US-based construction equipment manufacturer is holding the  showcase at its Doosan Bobat EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) campus in Dobříš, Czechia.

The OEM is expecting more than 700 customers, dealers, suppliers, and media members over ten full-days of programming.

Jan Moravec, VP of products, Bobcat EMEA, says, “Bobcat Demo Days 2024 will allow 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.”

The company says the event serves as an opportunity for attendees to gain firsthand experience of the company’s full equipment lineup in one place.

Hands-on programmes at Bobcat Demo Days

Newly introduced machines, including the M-Series S630 and S650 Stage V skid-steer loaders – developed for European markets – will be available to test.

A line-up of Bobcat skid steers ready for the company’s annual Demo Days event. (Image: Bobcat)

This year’s event will also showcase the new lineup of  rotary telehandlers, which the OEM says offers “unrivalled” visibility thanks to its patented panoramic cab.

The latest range contains nine Stage V models (for European markets) with lifting heights between 18 and 39m (59 to 128 ft), and four Stage IIIA machines with lifting heights of 18 to 26m (59 to 85 ft) developed for use in the Middle East and Africa.

Bobcat’s PG40 and PG50 generators will also be on display.

“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,” says Bobcat.

A sneak peak at Bobcat’s new concepts

The Demo Days will also highlight the OEM’s various new concepts and technologies, some of which are not yet commercially available.

One such machine still in-development is the TL25.60e electric telehandler. It’s appearance at Demo Days will be the first time customers and partners have an opportunity to try the prototype.

The model has a rated capacity of 2.5-tonne (5,510-lbs) and a lifting height of almost 6m (20 ft), which Bobcat says matches the performance offered by its diesel-powered equivalent.

“With three separated electric motors designed to maximize efficiency, a hydrostatic transmission to boost performance, a maximum speed of 25 km/h (15.5 mi/h), 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,” says Bobcat.

Also featured is Bobcat’s transparent OLED (T-OLED) screen technology; developed in collaboration with LG (South Korea) and BSI Research (UK). T-OLED enables operators to access functions without taking their eyes off the worksite. It also has the ability to accept advanced applications like real-time virtual reality (VR) simulations for utility line mapping, says Bobcat.

The autonomous, all-electric, and cab-less RogueX2 concept skid-steer loader will also be shown.

Bobcat’s emerging tech solutions

Bobcat’s ‘Operator Presence’ technology, a concept that is currently being developed for excavator models, will also be featured. It leverages a 3D time-of-flight (ToF) camera – tech commonly used in autonomous vehicles and robotics – 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,” says Bobcat. “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.”

Bobcat’s Pedestrian Detection Camera in action. (Image: Bobcat)

Bobcat will also show its ‘Digital Access’ software, a system that allows operators to use smartphones as ‘keys’ to specific machines and its ‘Pedestrian Detection Camera’ which can differentiate between humans and their surroundings using artificial intelligence (AI) enabled processing capabilities.