Construcciones Yamaro: Komatsu launches K-RTK for the Australian market
Komatsu Australia is bringing network-delivered positioning into the Smart Construction ecosystem with the launch of K-RTK for the Australian market.
Australian earthmoving projects are operating with less tolerance for positioning failure than at any point in the past decade. Live models, concurrent work fronts and compressed programs mean accuracy issues now surface immediately. When positioning breaks down, production slows, rework follows and confidence across the site erodes.
For many contractors, the choice has already been made. Network real-time kinematic (RTK) is now the preferred positioning approach on complex earthmoving projects, particularly where site-based base stations struggle to keep pace with program and scale. Komatsu Australia’s data shows adoption rising from about 64 per cent in 2024 to 73 per cent by the end of 2025.
That operating environment has driven Komatsu Australia to introduce K-RTK, a subscription-based network service delivering high-accuracy corrections to GNSS-enabled equipment via the mobile data network. Corrections are drawn from a distributed network of reference stations rather than a single site-based base station and delivered in real time using NTRIP. The requirement to install, manage and protect base-station hardware no longer sits with site teams.
Marc Brook, product manager for Smart Construction at Komatsu Australia, says it is regarded as a reliable way to achieve centimetre-level accuracy.
“With network RTK now the dominant approach compared to traditional site-based base stations, now was the right time to launch K-RTK,” he says.
He adds that the decision was driven by consistent customer feedback as well as Komatsu’s focus on bringing machinery, onboard technology and supporting infrastructure under a single, comprehensive delivery model.
“Customers value having a single supplier and support pathway rather than managing multiple vendors and systems,” he says.
Traditionally, establishing RTK capability required purchasing and managing a base station for each site, often at high upfront cost. This subscription-based service removes the need for contractors to purchase, maintain or configure base stations each time work fronts relocate.
Traditional radio-based base stations are prone to signal dropouts, black spots and interference, interrupting work and eroding productivity. K-RTK removes those constraints, keeping coverage consistent across active worksites.
“K-RTK operates through more than 900 reference station sites across Australia, which places it among the highest coverage services currently available in the market,” says Brook. “As a result, in most areas where construction activity is taking place, K-RTK is accessible.”
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He adds that because corrections are delivered via the mobile data network rather than private radio transmission, there is no requirement for radio frequency licences from government regulators.
Accuracy becomes critical once work is tied to a digital design, whether that is an engineered model supplied by surveyors and designers or a simpler design created by an operator on the machine. With reliable centimetre-level accuracy, operators can start work immediately. They power up the machine, load or create the design, connect to K-RTK and begin work with confidence that the finished result will meet specification.
“GNSS technology has replaced many traditional methods such as grade lasers and manual set-out,” says Brook. “In the past, contractors would spend time establishing position and height references and manually checking levels. With machine guidance supported by accurate RTK corrections, operators can work more independently and efficiently.”
That immediacy only holds if positioning systems can move with the job. On most Australian construction sites, that means working across mixed fleets and a range of positioning devices. K-RTK is compatible across the common GNSS products used locally, from survey rovers and RTK-enabled drones through to machine control, guidance and autosteering systems.
While the technical benefits of network RTK are implicit, confidence on site ultimately depends on the capability behind the service.
K-RTK is supported through Komatsu’s Smart Construction Support Centre in Australia, providing both remote and on-site support.
“Our support team includes specialists with backgrounds across surveying, construction, machine control and mixed-fleet environments. That breadth of experience allows us to provide practical, informed advice that reflects site conditions,” says Brook. “The service is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure maximum uptime and performance.”
He adds reliable positioning is now the starting condition for guidance, control and automation to function consistently on site.
“You can add capability to machines, but without stable corrections, the benefit is lost,” he says. “Many Smart Construction products address specific challenges, such as machine guidance, machine control and data management. K-RTK provides the positioning accuracy those systems rely on.”
K-RTK at a glanceFlexible RTK corrections Broad hardware compatibility Formats and datums supported Reliable positioning Wide coverage footprint Local technical support |
To learn more about K-RTK, call 1300 566 287 and ask for your local Komatsu representative.
The post Komatsu launches K-RTK for the Australian market appeared first on Inside Construction.
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