COLLISION AVOIDANCE
Autonomy to xtonomy
New company xtonomy was founded in 2011 as indurad ’ s R & D company and , in 2021 , a full spin off from indurad was launched . IM spoke to xtonomy CEO Christian Riedel about the company with a focus on its collision avoidance solutions , but its autonomy ecosystem also covers modules for active and passive proximity detection , operator assistance and tele-remote operation . Riedel summarises the approach : “ xtonomy ’ s autonomy platform for mining and industrial applications features an OEM-agnostic and interoperable concept for true autonomy offering robust radar-only perception for hybrid indoor-outdoor and rough environments . Our platform enables autonomy everywhere . Our technology platform increases operator safety , machine availability and performance while reducing costs per tonne . We have had long experience in mobile machine automation for underground and surface mining as well as industrial applications . We work in a consultative and solutionoriented manner in close cooperation with our customers .”
Q How does CAS fit into the xtonomy offering and what technology is utilised ? A xtonomy offers both active and passive CAS systems utilising indurad ’ s proven hardware . Proximity detection is part of xtonomy ’ s autonomy ecosystem and is offered as stand-alone modules as well . Our modular CAS system encompasses both transponder tags as well as radar sensors . xtonomy integrates indurad radio transponder tags ( iRTT ) as an active proximity detection system in vehicle CAS applications both for surface and underground applications . xtonomy also utilises indurad ’ s advanced scanning dynamic radars ( iSDR ) on trackless mobile machinery such as trucks , loaders and shovels . The passive radar CAS approach detects any given object , such as rocks and does not require any further infrastructure elements such as tags but presupposes line-of-sight , whereas radio transponder tags enable CAS even without direct sight . Both technologies are designed to work in rough environments , eg with dust . In combination with GNSS on surface , these technologies greatly complement each other to reach highest 2oo3 fail-operational safety and availability levels both for manual and autonomous machines . Besides vehicle collision avoidance iRTT is also utilised for real-time-localisation , positioning and access control .
Q To what extent is radar already being used as part of CAS solutions today ? A indurad has been successfully utilising its radar sensors in a great variety of its solutions in rough environments around the globe for many years . Some examples are shiploaders , stackers and reclaimers . xtonomy has adapted these CAS modules for its trackless mobile machine applications . Radar CAS has been implemented on manned and autonomous equipment in underground and surface applications . Our advanced radar technology is the cornerstone to provide autonomy everywhere . xtonomy radar CAS based on indurad radio transponder tags ( iRTT ) and advanced scanning dynamic radars ( iSDR ) has been implemented on mobile machines such as on autonomous trucks but also on LHDs as well as tunnelling vehicles
Q Can you give an example of where your CAS solutions have already been deployed whether surface or underground ? A indurad radio transponder tags ( iRTT ) are utilised across several solutions in large scale across the globe for many years . For vehicle CAS this technology is utilised in underground applications eg in Germany in a nuclear repository . Radar CAS has been implemented on mobile machines such as on autonomous trucks but also on LHDs as well as tunnelling vehicles .
Q Are you working directly with any companies trying to develop Level 9 CAS capabilities ? A Implementation of our CAS technology is advanced and state-of-the-art as part of our autonomous systems that encompass dynamic path planning with deterministic control around stationary or moving obstacles . For manned equipment we may give audio-visual alarms , slow down equipment , or activate brakes ( with prior warning ), but do not override steering . Only in certain applications we do offer a lane-keeping assistance with active steering . We do envision level 9 as the ultimate goal and utilise our comprehensive technology stack within safety boundaries to implement advanced CAS features .
Q Are you mainly working with equipment OEMs or mining sites or both ? A Both indurad and xtonomy are working with OEMs as well as end customers . One example for a successful cooperation with an OEM is the development of the ISO-compliant drive-by-wire interface with Bell . On other occasions we work closely with our end customers to adapt our solutions to site-specific requirements . told IM : “ The system currently deployed at South Deep only has Level 7 capability . We are currently rolling out the Newtrax system , which will have full Level 9 capability . We are currently finalising the OEM safety testing phase as well doing factory acceptance testing for components as they pass the OEM testing phase . We have made allowance for additional people in terms of installation of the systems as well as the initial maintenance , during this phase we will ensure skills transfer to our technicians for ongoing maintenance . While this is an additional maintenance activity , we believe that the safety benefits this system will provide will far outweigh any additional burden . We also believe that using the full capability of the Newtrax system which is not only a collision avoidance system but will also enable fleet monitoring from both a maintenance and productions scheduling perspective will in effect improve our reliability and reduce overall maintenance effort while at the same time improve operational scheduling and performance .”
Safety on surface
There is a lot of discussion of the latest surface mines to invest in autonomous trucks , but what about having the same level of collision avoidance safety and ability for the truck to take evasive action in conventional fleets ? This process of CAS rollout in non-autonomous fleets continues apace .
Hexagon says it continues to expand the capabilities of its collision avoidance system , which is now used in more than 40,000 vehicles and mining equipment worldwide . The system
58 International Mining | JANUARY 2022