Issue 54 Uncrewed Sytems Technology Feb/Mar 2024 uWare uOne UUV l Radio and telemetry l Rheinmetall Canada medevacs l UUVs insight DelltaHawk engine l IMU focus l Skygauge in operation l CES 2024 report l Blueflite l Hypersonic flight

Platform one Researchers in Switzerland have taught an autonomous excavator to construct dry-stone walls (writes Nick Flaherty). The team at ETH Zurich deployed an autonomous excavator, called HEAP, to build a 6 m high, 65 m long dry-s​ tone wall. As it formed part of a digitally planned and autonomously excavated landscape and park, the digital map already existed. Using sensors, the excavator autonomously draws a 3D map of the An algorithm determines the best position for each stone, depending on its shape, and the excavator then places it in the desired location. It can place 20 to 30 stones in a single consignment – about as many as one delivery could supply. The geometric-planning algorithm uses a combination of AI classification techniques to determine the correct positioning of the stones for stable, specifically shaped structures. Autonomous vehicles HEAP builds stone walls construction site, and then finds existing blocks and stones to build the wall. Custom machine-vision algorithms enable the excavator to scan and grab large stones in its immediate environment, learning from real time and simulated data to enable robotic grasping of individual stones and rubble with different textures. The system registers approximate weight and centre of gravity, which is key for lifting the blocks safely. Not enough hours in the day? Use your time effectively with a targeted, dedicated, online portal, solely for the recruitment of uncrewed & autonomous engineers. Contact [email protected] for more information on our 1x, 5x, 10x & unlimited job packages. Using sensors, the excavator draws a 3D map of the site, and then finds blocks and stones to build the wall

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