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UTILITY WEEK | DECEMBER 2020 | 37 Operational Excellence D espite the rise of imple- menting innovation into business as usual, street works are still being carried out with the risk of prominent challenges. In the UK, there are over 1.5 million kilometres of underground assets which risk being damaged by over 4 million heavy excavation and surface breakings that take place annually. This has led to the recent rise in robotics within the construction industry, as implementing autonomous solu- tions can improve performance, enhance safety and efficiency among many other benefits. ULC Technologies and UK gas distribution network SGN are revolutionising the way that roadworks are being performed through the develop- ment of the fully autonomous, all-electric Robotic Roadworks and Excavation System (RRES). The advancement of this robotic solution will assist in overcom- ing some of the many challenges faced by the current and tradi- tional excavation methods that are present across the construc- tion and utility sectors. Through the use of AI, below-ground locating sensors and precise robotic operations, RRES will support the movement towards using robotics-as-a-service across these industries as a way to reduce the typical challenges associated with conventional excavations. The RRES project started in 2018, funded by Ofgem through the Network Innovation Compe- tition and is in the final stages of development and testing before beginning field trials in the UK in early 2021. The use of below-ground locating sensors and machine vision allows RRES to identify the location of buried assets providing a clear indication of these assets before cutting the road surface with accuracy and precision through the use of a robotic arm. Equipped with a so-touch exca- vation tool, RRES will avoid any potential damages to third party assets during excavation. With aspiring UK Govern- ment targets of reaching net-zero by 2050, the NIC funded project is taking some of the first steps to paint a future where uncer- tainty and difficulties faced with excavation processes can be solved using new innova- tive technology. To this day, utility excavations still require a large physical footprint and presence on site, using multiple vehicles and heavy equipment while producing substantial waste. Not only does this cre- ate major disruptions to traffic and pedestrian access, but it causes concerns over the ability to reduce carbon emissions to reach net-zero. Compared to conventional methods of excavation, RRES is an all-electric robotic platform that has a much smaller physi- cal and carbon footprint, rein- stating the excavation keyhole using recycled soil. Removing this element of disruption pro- vides a significant reduction in emitting CO2, as well as reduc- ing the disruption caused to local businesses and residences around the site. As we continue to innovate into the future, we foresee continued development in autonomous solutions for the construction and utility sectors. For more information on RRES, visit: www.ulcrobotics.com ALI ASMARI, HEAD OF AI AND MACHINE LEARNING, ULC TECHNOLOGIES Revolutionising streetworks with robotics and AI Tech Talk Sponsored content brought to you by workforce has struggled with digital literacy because it hasn't been part of their lives. So how you help people to feel comfortable with that is really important in order to get the benefits of the investment you've put in," says Neil Morrison, group HR director at Severn Trent. Severn Trent has about 3,000 field work- ers, including repairs and maintenance teams, meter readers, water and waste water operatives, together with scientists and engineers. "If people don't trust the tech, they'll tend to work manually around it, because they don't trust that it's going to do the right thing at the right time, so they'll keep their own system," says Morrison. In making new technology stick, it's also essential that it solves a problem people have – that way, they are motivated to use it. One example Morrison gives is the use of QR codes to be able to call up an instruction manual about a piece of equipment. "Some- thing like that is very simple and attractive, because it's existing consumer tech, but it's being able to use it in a way that allows peo- ple to access information that they need to do their job, really quickly." UKPN's Pace also emphasises the need for support: "There are lessons for us all in how to make sure that adoption of new tech is successful. One of the lessons we've learnt is not to put too much information on a touchpad," says Pace. "And we have consciously listened to that, and stripped back some of our systems, so that what's being captured is really valu- able, but also captured in a straightforward way that doesn't frustrate our field staff. "If you make it simple, you get great adoption, and vice versa. So, you can now, for example, claim your expenses when you've got ten minutes spare in your van, book your holiday instantly, know your time sheet has been calculated for you. If we can make those things easy, then the other things that we ask people to do are much better received." It is clear we are seeing a paradigm shi in working practices as utility companies move at pace to adopt digital processes for field workers. The availability of integrated soware that allows reports of malfunction- ing energy and water supplies, for example, to be used to schedule and dispatch a team to fix it – and potentially tell the customer when they can expect a crew to arrive – is leading to more agile working that can optimise efficiencies and boost customer services. Denise Chevin, intelligence editor