Synthesis of hydro-abrasive cutting technologies and a robotic tunneling complex based on industrial robotic arms for the construction of tunnels in the Donetsk Metro

The construction of the Donetsk Metro faces the challenge of tunneling through hard rock strata (mudstones, siltstones, sandstones) with a compressive strength of up to 150 MPa. Traditional mechanized tunnel boring machines (TBMs) and drilling-and-blasting methods have low efficiency due to tool and machinery wear, increased vibration affecting surface infrastructure, and large volumes of excavated waste rock.  
The purpose of the study is to develop a concept of a robotic complex for tunneling in hard rocks based on the synthesis of abrasive waterjet cutting (AWJC) and swarm robotics. The methodology includes a systematic analysis of global experience, the theory of waterjet rock destruction, and the principles of adaptive control of a robotic complex with technical vision. A scheme of a mobile robotic complex is proposed, consisting of two cutting robotic manipulators with a jet pressure of up to 6000 bar, one transport robotic manipulator, a laser scanning system, and an AI module for creating a digital twin of the tunnel face.  
The scientific novelty lies in the substantiation of the use of industrial robotic manipulators organized according to swarm principles with an abrasive waterjet cutting tool for hard rock tunneling, providing high accuracy of the excavation contour (±5–15 mm), the absence of vibration impact on surface infrastructure, and a closed-loop recycling of excavated rock (up to 85 ) with its processing into construction materials (facing tiles, clinker bricks, concrete aggregates). The predicted excavation rate is 2.5–4.0 m/day, and the expected reduction in construction cost is 30–40 . The obtained results are intended for application in the construction of Donetsk Metro tunnels and can be extended to similar geological conditions. 

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