Because of the harsh work environment, construction robots, such as autonomous excavators, depend on hardened sensory systems, models, and laws of control. Because of the inherent complexity, robotic controls have to utilize the most sophisticated models presently available. Adaptive control, which represents one of the more advanced models, is generally used as a framework which is characterized by its capability to gather information about an unknown process and to make command changes based on selected control laws. The necessary "intelligence" has to be based on a thorough understanding of the meaning of the sensory data and high confidence in the appropriateness of future actions. In addition a special obstacle avoidance concept is needed to prevent collisions and other types of accidents. The paper presents the results of ongoing research projects dedicated to understand how critical relationships between the dynamics of equipment operation, the behavior of construction materials, and the technologies available to build computer controlled systems. The discussion is based on results from laboratory experiments executed within the Construction Automation and Robotics Laboratory at the North Carolina State University.

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