LUCIE the robot excavator-design for system safety

Staff and students at Lancaster University have, for the past five years, been involved in the development of an autonomous robot excavator LUCIE the Lancaster University Computerised Intelligent Excavator. An excavator provides a good opportunity for development, as it is basically a highly efficient and well developed four degree-of-freedom manipulator arm, but with the complete absence of automation or intelligence. The aim of the project is to add autonomy in order to produce a robot excavator with the following characteristics: