The machines that lay the foundations for roads and railways use mechanical
sensors that follow a guide string to keep them on track. But the machines often
rip out the string. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Automation in
Stuttgart, Germany, have developed an automatic system that is guided by a beam
of light and a surveyor’s tacheometer—a type of theodolite. The
foundations can be laid to an accuracy of 1 millimetre. The system is being
tested by engineers building a new high-speed railway near Berlin.
More from New ¾«¶«´«Ã½
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New ¾«¶«´«Ã½ articles
1
A quantum state that lasts forever may finally be within our grasp
2
Remarkable fossils rewrite the story of how animals conquered the land
3
Carl Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World is still supremely relevant today
4
Cervical cancer deaths have plummeted thanks to HPV vaccine
5
Our brains have their first thoughts surprisingly early in life
6
The secrets to keeping your brain sharp in old age
7
Autism and ADHD are on the rise due to widening diagnostic criteria
8
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
9
Why El Niño’s impacts on the UK are hard to predict
10
Almost the whole of Japan moved eastward after 2011 earthquake
