All research
Boulder extraction
A policy trained in simulation uses sparse LiDAR and machine feedback to lift boulders with a standard bucket.
Research excerpt8.5s · Silent
The research
Tested on a 12-ton excavator, the learned policy coordinates the arm and bucket while adapting its digging motion to different soil resistance. It uses sparse LiDAR and machine feedback; an operator initializes the target segmentation.
Freeing a boulder requires adapting contact with both rock and soil. This task-specific research informs the longer-term goal of skills that transfer across materials and machines.
Sources & attribution
Research at ETH Zürich / Robotic Systems Lab.