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1 An automated digging control for a wheel loader Summary An Automated Digging Control System (ADCS) for a wheel loader is developed that utilizes a behaviorbased control structure bined with fuzzy logic. This controller exhibits the realtime reactive responses necessary for executing digging tasks in an uncertain, unstructured and dynamic excavation environment. This paper presents field test results of a prototype ADCS that was developed and implemented on a Caterpillar 980G wheel loader. Test results show that the performance of the automated system is parable to that of an expert human operator in a wide range of excavation situations. Key Words: Fuzzy behavior control。 Automated digging。 Robotic excavation Introduction Automating the dig ponent of the excavation cycle on earth moving machines such as wheel loaders, hydraulic shovels and massexcavators, and cable shovels, has many potential benefits. Typically, when these machines are used in mining or construction applications they load large quantities of material (soil, rock, etc.) into a fleet of circulating trucks. Here, digging difficulty can vary dramatically and in these difficult digging situations effective loading performance is only achieved by expert operators. The dig time in these situations can double or triple which significantly reduces the output of the machine. The use of an effective automated digging control system would give every machine operator the capabilities of an expert operator, and generate the following benefits. First, consistent operation over the duration of the shift, since the control system does not get tired or lose concentration. Second, improve machine availability because the controller will always operate the machine within design limits during digging. Third, reduced wheel slippage during digging. However, to achieve these benefits and also operate effectively in the harsh excavation environment, it is important that the design of an automated system meets the following criteria. The sensors and actuators used should be limited to those currently available on a modern loading machine. For a wheel loader this includes electrohydraulic actuation of 2 bucket motions, bucket position sensors and measurement of a limited number of drive train parameters. Complex sensing and actuation systems may be prone to failure in the harsh environment. Next, the system should require no input from the operator related to characterizing digging difficulty. This would require operators to make a judgement concerning digging difficulty. In ge