2nd December 2023 Autonomous excavator can build stone walls An autonomous excavator has been demonstrated by researchers at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Using sensors, the machine can generate 3D maps of a construction site, localising individual blocks and stones in order to build a wall.
Until now, dry stone wall construction has involved vast amounts of manual labour. But a team of researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland has developed a way of using an autonomous excavator to rapidly and efficiently build a dry-stone wall (i.e. stones without any mortar to bind them together). When completed, their test structure measured six metres high and sixty-five metres long. The wall is embedded in a digitally planned and autonomously excavated landscape and park. HEAP (Hydraulic Excavator for an Autonomous Purpose) is a customised Menzi Muck M545, featuring novel force-controllable hydraulic cylinders in the chassis that allow it to adapt to any terrain.
Using sensors, including LIDARs, the machine generates a 3D map of the site and localises existing building blocks and stones for the wall's construction. Specifically designed tools and machine vision enable the excavator to scan and grab large stones from its surrounding environment. It can also register their approximate weight as well as their centre of gravity. An algorithm determines the best position for each individual stone, and the excavator then conducts the task itself by placing the stones in the desired location. Up to 30 stones can be placed in a single consignment – about as many as one delivery could supply. The researchers have published their work in Science Robotics.
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