A TEAM from Hunan University in central China has developed an intelligent operating system for tunnel boring machines, giving these massive underground giants a “smart brain.”

The system, created alongside researchers from China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co., Ltd, represents a major step forward in autonomous tunnel construction and risk prevention.

Often described as “steel dragons,” tunnel boring machines, or TBMs, are colossal pieces of equipment essential for digging underground passages. Unlike machinery operating above ground, TBMs work in close contact with surrounding rock and soil, making them highly sensitive to geological conditions.

In complex environments, human operators often struggle to adjust the machine’s settings appropriately, which can lead to dangerous situations such as ground collapse, excessive settlement, or even loss of control.

To tackle this challenge, the research team conducted a joint research initiative aimed at teaching these machines to “read” the ground, “predict” risks, and make precise adjustments on their own.

The resulting intelligent system acts as a real-time guardian for tunnel construction. It continuously collects data from sensors on the TBM, analyzes geological conditions, forecasts potential hazards, and automatically recommends optimal digging parameters.

Having been deployed on a super-large-diameter TBM in a Shanghai metro project, the system has shown impressive results. It assisted with over 90% accuracy in operational decisions and kept deviations in the tunneling direction within 30 millimeters, far surpassing the precision achievable through manual control, according to the research team.

In another project in Guangzhou, the system improved fault diagnosis and maintenance efficiency by 20%, boosted equipment utilization by 12%, and increased monthly progress by 5%, it added.(Xinhua)