The objective of this proposal is to evaluate new excavation technologies that promise to radically reduce several hazards related to backhoe excavation in construction. The research performed under grant 5 R01 CCR413051-02 from NIOSH successfully demonstrated the feasibility and applicability of safe excavation and pipe laying. The research """"""""ruggedized"""""""" the prototype technologies and demonstrated each as full-scale field experiments on actual construction sites using construction crews. From the lessons learned, new questions and further research topics have arisen. The overall goals of the research still remain but with an extension of the previous work. In order to further achieve the goals, the following specific aims will be pursued: extend the capabilities of the Excavator Mounted Buried Utility Detection System (EMBUDS) presently capable of locating metallic pipes and power lines to have the ability to locate plastic and concrete pipes; address the questions raised with the pipe manipulator (PIPEMAN) about remotely setting the bedding; design and fabricate a smaller version of PIPEMAN (PIPEMAN Jr.) that can lay smaller pipes such as pvc and steel pipes and investigate the issues of jointing the pipes which have very different requirements than the concrete pipes; integrate the expanded EMBUDS and PIPEMAN Jr.; improve the human machine interfaces of the EMBUDS, PIPEMAN, and PIPEMAN Jr.,; demonstrate technologies at field sites; and disseminate information via journal articles, conference papers, and on a website.
