Page 35 - Gi flipbook April 2018

IGEM NEWS | Industrial Affiliates

ULC Robotics to pioneer first ever

excavation and roadworks robot

ULC ROBOTICS and SGN
have won £6.3 million
Network Innovation
Competition funding to
develop advanced robotics
which aim to radically
change the way roadworks
are performed.
The Robotic Roadworks
and Excavation System
(RRES) will employ
innovative below-ground
locating sensors, artificial
intelligence, and machine
vision to detect and avoid
subterranean infrastructure
during excavation.
The new robotic excavator
will make typical utility and
construction work much
more efficient, safer, and less
disruptive to customers. The
invention and application of
‘soft-touch’ excavation tools
will also prevent damage to
the target asset as well as
existing utilities in major
urban areas.
The RRES promises impact. The benefits also contractors, and their United States. A number
substantial environmental extend to an increase in customers. of additional patent
advantages, from decreasing efficiency, safety, and fiscal The first patent related to applications are pending
traffic disruption to savings to provide a better the RRES system has been in the US, UK and
minimizing environmental experience for utilities, granted to ULC in the internationally. ■

Morrison Utility Services unveils

new highway innovation

MORRISON UTILITY underground utilities that Kelly, said: “This is an
SERVICES (MUS), the UK’s can be untidy, unclear and excellent piece of innovative
largest, dedicated, inaccurate. The stencil is and practical thinking to
independent utility service being introduced following address an everyday
provider, has unveiled a successful trials on a number challenge to the utility
new, patented multi-utility of major contracts and will industry. The stencil’s
stencil that will provide a lead to safer working simple, ergonomic design
template for safer, clearer practice and a reduction in has established it as a
and more consistent survey customer complaints. practical and essential tool
marking to identify The multi-utility stencil for MUS dig teams and this
underground utilities in the was initially submitted as a represents a major step
public highway. proposal via the successful forward that will enable
The stencil provides an MUS employee innovation them to mark the presence
innovative solution to programme, Innovate to of underground services in a
manually spray-painted Improve (i2i). clear, more consistent and
markings used to identify Executive Director Sean professional manner.” ■

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