Wrapping Up with Impact: SUGAR Student Team Presents “Volvo Jack” in San Francisco

Post by: Christian Johansson
2nd July 2025
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As the academic year draws to a close, we are proud to wrap up another successful run of the SUGAR Global Engineering Innovation Project, this year in close collaboration with the University of São Paulo (USP) and Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE).

Last week, the international student team—comprising three students from BTH and three from USP—touched down in San Francisco to present their final prototype at SAP’s Innovation Center, marking the grand finale of a year-long journey through ambiguity, co-creation, and system-level innovation.

Global Collaboration for Local on-site Impact

Since kicking off in November 2024, the project has brought together students from diverse backgrounds—Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, Industrial Engineering and Management, and Electronics and Communication—to tackle a bold challenge posed by Volvo CE:

“How can AI be leveraged to develop a service or business model that enhances on-site efficiency at construction sites?”

The journey included immersive fieldwork in Brazil and Sweden, design iterations across continents, and intense prototyping sessions—all culminating in a fully functional innovation for one of the world’s most demanding work environments.

Introducing Volvo Jack: AI Troubleshooting for Construction Sites

The solution presented by the team is Volvo Jack—an AI-based assistant that helps construction equipment operators diagnose and fix machine issues in real-time, directly on-site.

Instant, on-site troubleshooting for every stage of your machine’s life cycle.

Volvo Jack acts as a digital mechanic in your pocket, offering:

Chatbot interface trained on service manuals and troubleshooting documentation.
AI-guided diagnostics using large language models (LLMs), computer vision (YOLOv8), and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).
Image recognition and multimedia input for contextual diagnostics.
Feedback loops that constantly update the system based on real-world outcomes.

It’s a unified platform empowering operators—especially those far from dealer networks—to independently carry out simple corrective maintenance, like replacing a hose or filter.

Potential impact

Research and field interviews revealed that up to 50% of machine failures could be fixed by operators if they had the right tools and knowledge. Jack steps into this gap with:

Real-time guidance—multimodal instructions (text, visuals, audio).
Fleet visibility—real-time machine status for site managers.
Dealer integration—streamlined parts ordering and escalation.
Knowledge building—closed-loop reporting to improve future diagnostics.

With these features, Volvo Jack boosts productivity, minimizes costly downtime, and elevates operator autonomy.

Jack in Action: Never Wastes an Experience

At the heart of Jack lies a simple principle: Either Jack solves the issue or he learns from it.

Two main outcomes exist:

Jack Saves the Day – guides the user to a successful fix.
Jack Learns a Lesson – escalates the issue while enriching the system’s knowledge base.

This feedback-driven model creates a learning ecosystem involving:

Operators
Volvo and dealer experts
AI models that improve over time

”From my side, it was a really interesting experience to come up with a solution and have that on-site and real-people contact while developing Jack, to actually see who is on the other side of the tech we, as engineers or technical people, are building. Getting advice from the Volvo team and learning from people who have been in the field for decades was incredibly valuable. It helped us not only make the project work, but also ensured it had real value. As for the EXPO, I found it amazing to have conversations and gain insights from people across different companies, areas, and backgrounds, from PhDs in AI and computer vision to specialists in design and other disciplines. They gave advice on topics like user experience, data privacy, security, and how to optimize to save money and power, which gave the solution a whole new depth.”
Helena Moyen, USP student

“We didn’t just build Volvo Jack. We built a mindset – where learning never stops, every failure fuels growth, and every challenge makes us smarter together,” says Ahmed Mahfooz Ali Khan, BTH student.

Final Stop: San Francisco Showcase

The team landed in San Francisco early to prep their demo booth—complete with a custom-built mock-up of a construction machine, designed to simulate faults like broken hoses and malfunctioning sensors.

The grand finale included a presentation by Maja and Helena, who pitched the problem, the Volvo Jack solution, and its future potential. The audience included Silicon Valley stakeholders, industry experts, and even Mayor Daniel Lurie of San Francisco.

The second half of the event featured a hands-on demo fair, where visitors tested Jack by simulating real-life equipment issues. The feedback?

There was particular interest in how Jack combines AI, computer vision, and real-time data to deliver smart solutions to field operators.

“The Expo in San Francisco was such a valuable experience because it made everything feel real—it wasn’t just a school project anymore. We got to see what other teams had created, hear their thoughts on our solution, and reflect on where we stood in comparison. What I really enjoyed about working on Jack was that we were solving problems that matter to people on the ground—the actual operators, not just upper management. It’s exciting to contribute something that could make a real difference in how they work and help unlock the full potential of places like quarries.”
Maja Svensson, BTH student

“This year’s team conducted solid initial work putting themselves in the shoes of their potential customers and users with meaningful sight visits and interviews. As is the case, this provided solid foundation for their path to a tangible implementation of AI to solve real world issues for front line employees. Innovation is often a challenging balance act between creativity and execution which I would say the students navigated deftly. The learnings and final output demonstrated at the EXPO in San Francisco is fit for purpose and exemplifies the effectiveness of fresh eyes on the problem/solution space,” says Ryan Ruvald, faculty coach at BTH.

What’s Next?

With the project concluded, attention now turns to Volvo CE’s internal AI and Service Engineering teams, who are being looped in to explore how Jack’s concept can be scaled and further developed.

This marks the end of the student journey—but the beginning of what could become a game-changing solution for construction sites across the globe.

“It’s always interesting to follow these global, hands-on projects, especially when we get to work with a company like Volvo that is very engaged with the students’ journey. The students took on a tricky topic and really put effort into understanding the people who actually work out on construction sites. I’m proud to see them aim for solutions that are practical and could make a real difference in that context,” says Christian Johansson Askling, faculty responsible at BTH.

Final Words

Congratulations to the students involved in this year’s Sugar project. Once again, the collaboration between BTH, USP, and our global industry partners demonstrates the power of international design education to push the boundaries of what’s possible.