BADGER: Intelligent Robotic System for Underground Construction

Abstract

This chapter presents the BADGER platform as the first autonomous boring system, with advanced perception capabilities, for developing small-size subterranean tunnel networks. BADGER system is able to map the underground and perform a horizontal directional drilling task (HDD), navigating in the underground and avoiding collisions with hidden obstacles. The BADGER system may be applied to developing underground infrastructure, decontamination, or geothermal applications.