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chemistry batteries selected will allow
the system to run for hours without
a tether and will provide a high level
of safety and energy density with an
extended cycle life and ultra-low impact
on the environment.

Ground sensing
The RRES employs a combination of
sensors and other hardware, such
as ground-penetrating radar and
electromagnetic waves, to detect and
avoid a wide range of buried assets.
Prior to starting excavation, and
during the excavation process, the
robot uses sensors to scan the ground
in ‘layers’ and to identify buried assets RRES WITH BATTERY DETAIL
in its excavation path. Information
extracted from the sensors prior to
excavation increases the confidence in
the selected excavation location and
improves the operation’s success rate
by utilising this information throughout
the excavation process.
To support the development of this
next generation locating technology, ULC
conducted a global search for applicable
sensor technologies for the detection of
a variety of different buried assets. After
performing hands-on evaluation of a
gamut of sensors and software, the best
technology was selected to be utilised
with the RRES system.
Through a patent pending scanning
process, the robot scans the area prior
to the excavation. By analysing the data GROUND SCANNING
collected using advanced AI, the system
detects buried infrastructure prior to too disruptive, time consuming or especially useful in situations where
cutting the road surface and throughout requiring too much supervision and precise cuts are necessary with no
the excavation operation. attendance from an operator. impact to the area surrounding the cut.
To test this, the team has designed a
Cutting the road surface custom concrete chainsaw for use as an
Core drilling is the current state-of-the- Under the project, significant end effector for the robotic arm. This new
art technique for cutting small holes in learning and advancements in and unique tool will enable the RRES to
road surfaces. This technique is limited robotics, ground sensing and make flexibly-shaped and sized cuts in a
in that it can only generate a limited- object detection, methods for wide array of road surface materials.
diameter, perfectly round hole, which
may not be ideally shaped or sized cutting road surfaces along Excavation
to allow direct access for operatives with the creation of Soft Touch Soft Touch Excavation – rapidly
to carry out maintenance and repair Excavation technology are removing spoil without damaging
operations on buried infrastructure. being achieved buried assets – is one of the key
To avoid damage to third party plant elements of the RRES project. The
or, when excavation is required in high traditional method of core hole spoil
consequence areas (such as around gas Concrete chainsaws are one of the removal is a two-person operation
transmission mains), work may need to many cutting methods being explored wherein one person utilises an air
be performed manually by operatives in more detail under the project. lance equipped with a high-power air
using hand tools. This process is Handheld chainsaws are commonly nozzle to agitate the ground, while
time consuming, physically taxing utilised in the construction industry to another person operates a vacuum
and exposes operators to potentially generate precision cut-outs of various hose to remove the disturbed spoil
hazardous environments. shapes and sizes. Some uses include from the hole. While commercial air
In the early stages of the project, cutting doorways in foundations, sump nozzles and lances are commonplace
ULC evaluated various standard and pits in flooring, and other precision cuts in utility excavation, the project aims
non-typical techniques for cutting the that require substantial penetration to make substantial improvements
road surface. Through the process depth. Because chainsaws can be used in the size, efficiency and ground
of design, fabrication and testing, to make deep cuts without the overcuts breaking power of this technology with
options were eliminated as being associated with a circular saw, it is a goal of developing multiple versions

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