Hitachi has unveiled a concept version of its ZX55U-6 mini excavator, designed to show how compact cabs can be rethought around operator needs.
Called the Landcros Mini and displayed at Samoter, where it won a design award, the concept shifts the focus from fitting equipment into a small cab to improving how the operator uses the machine.
Hitachi’s designers used blind spots in the cab frame to create space that had previously gone unused. The result is a cab with 360° visibility, an integrated communications device with speaker and microphone, and a sliding secondary display that can support third-party systems such as Rototilt without adding extra monitors.
An LED lighting system linked to external sensors detects people approaching the machine and alerts the operator by turning the interior lights red, while exterior LEDs signal to those nearby that the excavator is operating. Visibility is further improved by moving the windscreen wiper motor to the right side of the front window, clearing the operator’s sightline to the left.
Norihiko Kinugawa, product manager at Hitachi Construction Machinery Europe, said the concept is less about the ZX55U-6 itself and more about testing a new design philosophy, with operator feedback at Samoter intended to help shape future machine development.
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