Artificial intelligence is one of the biggest innovations in tech for contractors this year. The 2025 Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas last week demonstrated it is a key focus for those in other industries as well.
While experts believe that it’s imperative for builders to stay up to date and carefully add new AI offerings to their tech stacks, it’s not the only innovation that contractors should focus on. Autonomous equipment, 3D mapping and even electric machines also have benefits for builders.
Here are five construction-related technologies that held the spotlight at CES 2025.
Caterpillar
Irving, Texas-based Caterpillar showed off its 55,000-pound 972 wheel loader, an extended-range electrified machine technical demonstrator of a hybrid retrofit, according to a news release from the manufacturer.
The battery-electric demonstrator, built in 12 weeks by a small group of engineers, maintains performance similar to a diesel machine and does not require DC charging, according to the release.
Caterpillar also showcased a 24-hour electrified jobsite simulation, which exhibits what customers are already using in their work, according to the release.
Oshkosh Corp.
Oshkosh Corp., the manufacturer headquartered in the Wisconsin town of the same name, exhibited electrification, AI, autonomy and connectivity solutions for “everyday heroes” in service-oriented industries and roles, according to a news release.
Oshkosh revealed the ZFL, an electric front-loader truck for commercial refuse and recycling collection, according to the release. It features AI- and machine learning-enabled bin detection, along with contaminant detection and an electrified arm for pickup.
It also showcased its Collision Avoidance Mitigation System, which detects the trajectory, speed and proximity of oncoming vehicles relative to a parked response vehicle by using advanced camera technology with AI, advanced autonomous driving sensors and radar, per the release.
Komatsu
The Earth isn’t the only frontier that some CES exhibitors focused on — Tokyo-based manufacturer Komatsu has its eyes on the moon.
Komatsu exhibited concepts of both a lunar excavator and an underwater construction robot at CES, with a focus on meeting the needs of customers in extreme applications, according to a news release.
In order to make the lunar excavator function as intended, the design team is taking the harsh environment, lunar regolith — also known as moon dust — and low gravity operation into account, according to the company’s website.
The underwater bulldozer, on the other hand, will allow firms to perform autonomous work in deep sea areas and dangerous waters, per the website.
John Deere
Moline, Illinois-based John Deere has widened its selection of autonomous technology it originally unveiled at CES 2022, growing its selection of available machinery, according to a news release.
The manufacturer revealed its 460 P-Tier Autonomous Articulated Dump Truck. Using the second-generation autonomous kit, the ADT can handle the repetitive tasks of transporting material around the quarry — no driver needed in the cab.
The machines, including the ADT, are managed via John Deere Operations Center Mobile, the company’s cloud-based platform which users can download to their phone, per the release. By swiping left to right to start, the machine can be started once operators place it in the appropriate spot.
Moasure
A 2025 honoree of the CES Innovation Awards, U.K.-based computer and electronics manufacturer Moasure’s tool was recognized for its measurement device, Moasure 2 Pro, the company said in a news release.
Moasure 2 Pro uses high-performing sensors to capture X-, Y- and Z-axis data as it moves, according to the CES award page. It simultaneously measures and draws complex and irregular jobsites and automatically calculates perimeter, area, elevation and volume. The tech’s new layout mode simplifies the setting out process by guiding the user to specified points.
Once Moasure is connected to Bluetooth, customers can export the measurements to PDF or CAD files for no extra cost, per the awards page.
