Abstract: To explore the control characteristics of the Zhiyu autonomous driving system (hereinafter referred to as the Zhiyu) in the real excavation process and its difference from traditional manual control, indicators of soil adaptability and tunneling performance are designed based on statistical indices. First, the Zhiyu is briefly introduced, and the measured data of the system in soft soil, softhard composite soil, and sandy soil are collected to analyze the adaptability and tunneling performance of the Zhiyu in various soils from three perspectives: construction safety, construction quality, and excavation efficiency. The analytical results of typical cases show that: (1) The performance of the Zhiyu outperforms manual control in selected three types of soil from all three perspectives. (2) The system can adapt to different soil conditions and maintain high construction quality and efficiency. However, the speed of the system in sandy soil needs to be improved.

Key words: shield, autonomous driving system, soft soil layer, soft and hard composite soil, sandy soil, construction safety, construction quality, excavation efficiency