Autonomous Excavator Trials Continue

Contractor Taylor Woodrow and robotics firm Gravis have been conducting trials of an autonomous excavator which is being used to help build a new car park at Manchester Airport.

For the purists amongst us this trial will feel like another nail in the coffin for machine operators in the future, but unfortunately, the human element is gradually being taken out in so many day-to-day scenarios, one only has to make a trip to the local supermarket to witness how difficult it now is to put your shopping through a manually operated checkout for instance.

The autonomous excavator, which in this instance is based on a 10-tonne class Yanmar SV100-7, works with the help of a computer in a box mounted to the top of the machine, which is linked to a tablet along with a camera.

Autonomous excavation is enabled by the use of 3D models and artificial intelligence (AI). Operatives are able to upload 3D models or CAD models of what they want the excavator to dig and the machine does this automatically.

Apparently in the build up to this recent trial, engineers from Gravis and Taylor Woodrow, worked to refine the processes of the excavator, over a period of five weeks, to ensure that it can dig trenches autonomously and bottom out to pipelaying standards, according to one spokesman 15 trenches were dug during those initial testing days.

Whilst its all very clever stuff for the techno minded people out there, the examples I have watched previously are painfully slow in completing the tasks, but no doubt the speed will come as the technology develops going forward. However, doesn't this and all other forms of autonomy that are rapidly advancing our way, make it feel like we are all gradually designing our own redundancies and ultimately the demise of the human race, it's a scary thought! 

Checkout the official video below, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section of the platform we have shared the post on.