UA Engineering Students Design ‘Laser Gizmo’ Device for Caterpillar Equipment

Cat excavator

Cat excavator

The device created by University of Arizona senior engineering students is suspended from a mobile armature can be positioned over an excavation made by a backhoe or other excavator and accurately measure the depth and volume using laser range finders (lidar?). This keeps the operator away from the excavation and allows for a more accurate measurement compared to using a tape or rod. The team of senior engineering students wrote their own software from scratch. The Caterpillar Proving Grounds in nearby Green Valley, AZ will be using the technology immediately and working on a more advanced version soon. [Source: Arizona Daily Star. Image: CAT]