Earthwork is very equipment-intensive task and researches related to automated excavation have been conducted. There is an issue to secure the safety for an automated excavating system. Therefore, this paper focuses on how to improve safety for semi- or fully-automated backhoe excavation. The primary objective of this research is to develop the core technology for automated object detection in excavation work. In order to satisfy the research objective, a diverse sensing technologies are investigated and analysed in terms of functions, durability, and reliability. The authors developed detecting algorithm for the objects using laser sensor and verified its performance by several tests. The results of this study would be the basis for developing the automated object detection system.