HIGH PROFILE doesn ’ t lock them into one player . There is a misperception about autonomous truck conversions in mining . A lot of mines associate autonomous truck technology with something done as part of a fleet replacement . ASI Mining ’ s retrofit conversion capability enables conversion of older trucks , of different makes and models , to autonomous capability . Those mines should ask themselves why they would wait and delay the productivity benefits AHS brings , when we can offer them a solution today for their existing fleet . We can even transfer AHS retrofit kits from a truck that comes to its end of life onto a new truck . We really have a strong retrofit autonomy case and the market needs to be more aware of what is possible .
Q How would you say the ASI Mining AHS has evolved to take advantage of new technologies such as improved sensors but also greater use of onboard AI ? A On the technology side of things , we are agnostic , so we are not tied to any one particular perception solution . As sensor capabilities improve , we are mindful that we need to have one eye on what is coming on the market , mainly through the automotive industry , that can potentially be applied in mining . We also have our own internal development stream that we pursue as well . But beyond the technology itself , at ASI , what we really try to focus on is what ’ s bringing value to the mining customer . You could have great sensor technology , but the overall system or support may not provide maximum value . It ’ s true there may sometimes be gaps in the technology that we need to solve to provide value , but it is just part of the overall approach . For us , that means looking at the problems we need to solve and sustain in the mine . I would also like to say that our goal is not to just try to mimic the autonomous solutions offered by the truck OEMs , but to try to focus on areas where those systems are not providing value , or have limitations . This makes us more disruptive in the AHS market , not just another AHS provider . We have unique core capabilities around safety , efficiency , and performance . Beyond that , there are things that customers are asking for that other AHS providers are not addressing . Examples include our flexibility around FMS without being tied to a rigid proprietary technology stack or integrating solutions from other technology partners like we do in blasting . While ASI ’ s AHS is moving closer to full maturity , we will never get to the point where we say we are done . As for AI , yes , it is playing an important role in autonomy but there is also a lot of hype around it . Largely it is currently being applied in the perception space , where it can be leveraged to allow vehicles to be able to better characterise objects and obstacles . The industry is moving very fast , and our strategy is not to try and
Mobius for Drills brings drilling into the Mobius ecosystem of autonomous mining solutions , and will allow increased integration of both data solutions and various autonomous mining operations
reinvent the wheel . As we look to other industries that ASI serves , we can cherry pick technologies for mining that are already working elsewhere . We are very active in the military , logistics , agriculture , and construction segments – this is where we developed our expertise in GPS-denied navigation and apply it into potential mining applications . Sensor fusion is also a staple of what we do – taking the strengths and weaknesses of LiDAR , radar and other sensors in different environments to piece together a blended traversibility matrix , which we have been doing for years . As part of this , there are some deep learning strands that some of our ongoing R & D projects touch on as well . Ultimately , however , if you think about mining , our product is not just computer hardware and software , it is moving more tonnes , more cost effectively and safely . That is the solution we are selling . Higher productivity is the autonomy value proposition . So , to the extent that the technology can improve that cost per tonne metric , that ’ s what we will do . And to the extent where it can increase safety , even on peripheral things like ancillary vehicles , that also is a key driver . At the end of the day , the technology is the enabler of the overall value proposition . If deep learning and distributed architecture make it more achievable , then that is what guides our efforts .
Q Is the market evolving in two strands – mines that are allowing themselves to be locked in with one of the two big truck OEM related technology stacks , and those that want a more open solution like Roy Hill , Ferrexpo and others ? A There are definitely different camps out there – some seem to be comfortable with dependency on one OEM but many are not . We remain very agnostic and independent . We think that as we continue to demonstrate our performance capability and maturity that the proposition of being OEM agnostic will become more and more popular and common . Mining companies no longer have the appetite to experiment and to take chances – they want proven solutions . We feel like we are now in a great position , coming to the end of a very complex and challenging maturation phase at Roy Hill , having a world class performance site where we can demonstrate performance and maturity . Today ’ s customer is all about , “ I know what you say , but show me .”
Q It has been several years since Epiroc acquired a strategic stake in ASI Mining – how is that relationship now evolving and is the Mobius for Drills offering that was mentioned at MINExpo 2021 the culmination of this ? A The Epiroc-ASI relationship , I would say is important in two areas – first off , Epiroc has a global footprint – they are a non-exclusive distributor of ASI Mining worldwide . So we can leverage Epiroc resources in any part of the world to be able to deploy our solutions . The synergy between our autonomous solutions and their product offerings , as well as their global footprint , is really profound . A lot of autonomy pipeline project discussions with potential customers are now jointly done – for example , Roy Hill chose Epiroc as the prime contractor with ASI Mining as a subcontractor . But we have a lot of flexibility in how we can structure projects . The second part of the relationship relates to joint capabilities . As Epiroc has leadership in blasthole drills and its own autonomous capability related to that , we can enhance their offering through integration with our Mobius platform . Mobius allows for the integration of several potential autonomous mining operations such as autonomous haulage , dozing , drilling , and blasting . Mobius for Drills was recently released and is an interface between Mobius and Epiroc ’ s autonomous drilling system ( RCS 5 ). It really signals that Epiroc is committed to integrating Mobius into its own autonomous program with drills . There are multiple benefits to the launch . It means Epiroc dealers can now start introducing Mobius to customers to drive increased data flow and efficiency in drilling , as well as introducing a roadmap for future connectivity with other autonomous applications . ASI has always had a broad focus beyond just haulage . Drilling , blasting , teleoperation & semi-autonomous dozers and wheel loaders operations can all be supported by Mobius . This capability provides our customers a pathway for OEM agnostic , highly interoperable autonomous solutions that can scale across a multitude of mining applications . IM
FEBRUARY 2022 | International Mining 83