I saw several times news about autonomous TBM use in Sydney Australia. First I assumed this is street name for a normal Tunnel Boring Machines. But this news keep coming. In trade magazines they seriously talk about autonomous operation. What is it anybody know?
Thank you
It is technology developed by Malaysia company MMC Gamuda. It won many awards. Most importantly Tunnelling Project of the Year at the New Civil Engineer (NCE) Tunnelling Festival 2021. Major Project of the Year at the ITA 2021 and International Project of the Year at the Ground Engineering (GE) Awards 2021, ITA technical innovation award in 2019.
On top of all, Sydney western tunnelling contract (twin metro rail tunnels between Sydney Olympic Park and Westmead) is construct by Malaysian company Gamuda Australia and Australian Laing O’Rourke Consortium.
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I think it's just a marketing trick. At least until we are presented with hard evidence that this TBM "with Artificial Intelligence" actually performs any better than usual bare-metal Herrenknecht.
One indication of this would be Herrenknecht using this technology also in other projects. Remember that in this project, one of the contractors is Gamuda whose engineering department developed this AI software.
cover tunnel photo by: Matt Brown from London, England / CC BY
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For example:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/nsw-to-gain-two-autonomous-tunnelling-machines-for-sydney-metro-west-project/
NSW to gain two autonomous tunnelling machines for Sydney Metro West project
www.zdnet.comThe autonomous machines are expected to help alleviate operators from repetitive tasks.