Robotics Application to Highway Transportation. Volume 3. Proposed ResearchTopics and Cost/Benefit Evaluations by CERF

摘要

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, at the request of the FederalHighway Administration, has conducted a study of potential applications of automation and robotics technology in construction, maintenance, and operation of highway systems. The study included a workshop exploring industry perceptions of needs and barriers to adoption, a workshop and a literature search to assess current state of the art practices and trends, and site visits by automation experts to typical highway worksites. Potential technology opportunities were highlighted for short, medium, and long-term efforts in a matrix of intersections between common highway jobs and areas of current technological thrust. From among the opportunities identified, six potential research areas were developed as specific proposals, and subjected to life-cycle cost-benefits analysis. Four were projected to return significant savings by comparison with current practice. Of these, two were identified as also likely to return benefits of significant impact on total highway expenditures and the national economy due to their ability to leverage savings across large numbers of jobs or their effect on a large percentage of highway traffic. This is Volume III of IV.