An excavation system may include a base unit, a boom mounted on the base unit, a pair of drag ropes coupled with the boom, and a robotic bucket mechanism attached to the pair of drag ropes. The robotic bucket mechanism may include an undercarriage drive, a chassis mounted on the undercarriage drive, an excavating bucket mounted on the chassis, a pair of hydraulic lift actuators coupled between the chassis and the excavating bucket at pivot points on both sides of the excavating bucket, and a hydraulic tilt actuator mounted between the chassis and a rear side of the excavating bucket.

In some implementations, a controller may receive, from a sensor system of the machine, sensor data indicating a movement of an idler block of an idler assembly of an undercarriage of the machine. The controller may determine, based on the sensor data, that the idler block has moved from a first position to a second position. The controller may determine an amount of wear of an idler of the idler assembly based on the idler block moving from the first position to the second position. The controller may determine whether the amount of wear satisfies a wear threshold. The controller may cause the machine to perform an action based on determining whether the amount of wear satisfies the wear threshold.

The invention provides a trenching apparatus and a method of using a trenching apparatus. The trenching apparatus (100) may include a main body portion (10), trench cutting equipment (50) depending from the main body portion, at least two ground contacting units (16) arranged on opposed sides of the main body portion and on which the main body portion is supported, each of the ground contacting units being connected to the main body portion by a respective independently operable suspension assembly (20), the respective suspension assemblies being configured to compensate for unevenness of the ground thereby to maintain the trench cutting equipment in a desired angular orientation with respect to the vertical.

In some implementations, a controller may receive, from a sensor system of the machine, sensor data indicating a movement of an idler block of an idler assembly of an undercarriage of the machine. The controller may determine, based on the sensor data, that the idler block has moved from a first position to a second position. The controller may determine an amount of wear of an idler of the idler assembly based on the idler block moving from the first position to the second position. The controller may determine whether the amount of wear satisfies a wear threshold. The controller may cause the machine to perform an action based on determining whether the amount of wear satisfies the wear threshold.

A dredge system includes a float having an inlet and an outlet, a drive device including a drive wheel and a suction intake, and a control arm connected to the inlet of the float and an outlet of the suction intake, the control arm configured to extend vertically from the drive device, the float configured to maintain a position directly above the drive device and the drive wheel configured to move the suction intake.