23 Feb 26
Breakthrough integration automatically stops excavator bucket before striking buried utilities
LAS VEGAS, NV – February 23, 2026 – Xwatch Safety Solutions, part of Hexagon, a leader in excavator safety systems, and RodRadar, developer of the field-proven Live Dig Radar (LDR), today announced the industry’s first safety-grade solution for preventing underground utility strikes. The integrated system, set to be demonstrated at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2026 (Booth D1127 in the Diamond Lot, March 3–7, Las Vegas), automatically halts the excavator bucket when subsurface utilities are detected during active excavation, making RodRadar’s Zero-Strike vision a reality.
Underground utility strikes remain among the most persistent safety and financial challenges in construction. In the United States, one to two strikes occur every minute, with more than 400,000 incidents reported annually, costing the economy approximately $30 billion each year and contributing to thousands of injuries and hundreds of fatalities over the past two decades.
Nearly 50% of strikes occur because utilities were not located or were mis-located, and in 64% of incidents, the buried infrastructure was more than two feet outside the marked area.
RodRadar’s AI-driven Live Dig Radar digging system uses the first-ever ground-penetrating radar (GPR) embedded directly in an excavator bucket to detect underground utilities in real time, during excavation, without reliance on pre-project utility data. Through the RodRadar–Xwatch integration, LDR detections trigger an automatic bucket stop via Xwatch’s safety-grade hydraulic control system, preventing the machine from striking the utility.
The integration represents a fundamental step in excavation safety. Much like the automotive industry’s move from driver warnings to automatic emergency braking, the integrated system takes direct action to prevent incidents. RodRadar refers to this approach as Stop-Before-Strike (SBS), while operators retain override capability.
Xwatch Safety Solutions brings long-standing experience in safety-grade excavator control to this partnership. With over 6,500 systems installed worldwide, the company is a global leader in excavator safety technology, providing height and slew control through proportional hydraulic intervention. Acquired by Hexagon AB in April 2024, Xwatch operates within Hexagon's Geosystems Business Area, alongside Leica Geosystems and IDS GeoRadar.
“RodRadar has solved the detection problem during excavation,” said Dan Leaney, Director of Sales at Xwatch Safety Solutions. “By integrating their Live Dig Radar technology directly into our safety-grade hydraulic control, we can physically stop the machine before a strike occurs. That’s the difference between warning about a risk and actually preventing it.”
“Xwatch’s proven track record in safety-grade hydraulic control makes them an ideal partner to bring our Zero-Strike vision to reality,” said Yuval Barnea, VP of Sales and Marketing at RodRadar. “The integration further closes the safety gap, transforming LDR detections into automatic strike prevention and delivering the industry’s first Stop-Before-Strike solution. We envision this being recommended, and ultimately mandated, by industry stakeholders, project owners, and contractors.”
Construction safety remains a critical industry concern, with 1,075 fatalities recorded in U.S. construction in 2023, the highest figure since 2011. Struck-by incidents account for approximately 15.4% of those fatalities. The integrated solution aims to establish Zero-Strike Excavation as a new industry benchmark, with the potential to become mandated on job sites where underground utilities are present.