High technology has bypassed real road construction and maintenance until recently. Using emerging technologies such as automation and robotics, researchers at the UC Davis Advanced Highway Maintenance & Construction Technology Center are in various stages of designing and developing nearly one dozen new machines that aim to convert many labor-intensive, time-consuming and tedious operations to automated, safer, faster and more efficient processes. One step away from commercialization, four machines have been tested around California by the state Department of Transportation, a research partner of the UC Davis center. Machines in the field include an automated litter bag and debris-collection machine, a "smart" herbicide applicator, a robotic system for roadway stenciling and an automated crack-sealing machine. Back in the lab, researchers are readying other equipment. An automated machine for safety cone placement and retrieval, a remotely operated front-end loader, a general purpose roadway sign-stenciling machine, and a laser device to remove graffiti from signs and soundwalls are scheduled for Caltrans use in the next two years. More equipment details and illustrations are available at http://www.ahmct.engr.ucdavis.edu.