SGN has unveiled an autonomous excavation robot designed to make roadworks faster, safer and less disruptive.
The battery-powered machine features an articulated arm mounted on caterpillar tracks with interchangeable attachments, including a drill, a chainsaw, a vacuum and sensors that can peer beneath the ground to locate pipes and wires.
The Robotic Roadworks and Excavation System was designed in partnership with ULC Robotics. The project was awarded £6.3 million of funding in Ofgem’s Network Innovation Competition for 2017.
“Because we operate 76,000 kilometres of underground pipelines in the UK and dig thousands of excavations every year, we recognise the need for smarter roadworks,” said SGN head of innovation John Richardson.
“We’re leading the effort to change utility excavation by investing in the development of technology to address this global problem.”
Ali Asmari, program manager at ULC Robotics, added: “We are at the midway point of the project and in partnership with SGN we have been able to create the world’s first functional all-electric autonomous excavation robot.
“There is a significant amount of work remaining, including the development of additional tools and support equipment, as well as testing and validating the robotic operation in different environments, but we have an outstanding team and are confident that the robot will be ready to work come 2021.”
Initial field trials of the robot are set to take place on SGN’s network during 2020.