SURFACE MINING TRUCKS
Auto-mate in action
IM spoke to Auto-mate ’ s Daniel Poller , CEO , and Damien Williams , Solutions and Implementation Manager to get more info on the Israel project and plans for the technology once it hits Australia
Q Other OEM agnostic companies are also retrofitting automation to mining equipment ; can you give a sense of the unique aspects of the Auto-mate system in terms of functionality and components ? A Components we are keeping as common as possible and as more of us take on the challenge we welcome those components decreasing in cost as volumes increase . Functionally , we have the benefit of drawing on the experience of over 100 units deployed in an adjacent industry with commonality between applications such as off-road navigation , obstacle avoidance and ground engagement with material movement . In addition , our design methodology has come from one of scarcity : limited comms , limited consistency of operational area , limited restrictions on area entry . These all led to greater on-board decision making and analytics being developed so the asset could operate at Level 4 and above automation .
Q Why was the 775 chosen as the initial truck for retrofit ? Is this the same model that would have been converted in WA if the project had not been delayed by the pandemic ? A It was . The smaller size truck classes have been neglected from an automation standpoint as they were deemed non-viable commercially . Our lower price point automation turns this idea on its head and enables operations of all sizes to get healthy safety , operational and financial returns with automation . A 777 was also considered but the 775 platform was more readily available in Israel .
Q Do you have any agreements in place with mine operators or contractors to trial the system in Australia and when do you expect the first conversion to be complete in Australia ? A We do . Unfortunately , they are all confidential at this stage however we can confirm we have two engagements underway with another two looking very likely to kick off in 2022 .
Auto-mate ' s autonomous haulage tech is being applied this year on Bis Industries ' multi-axle 160 t Rexx mining truck
extend the trial and look at starting a deployment with them next year . This is the best endorsement in our opinion as they ’ ve seen the entire process warts and all and can see the value of the evolving offering .
Q How does your automation approach with AI enable a more flexible solution not tied to constant network infrastucture access ? A We deploy our decision-making algorithms and AI onto the assets themselves which means that once a mission is loaded along with any operational parameters and restrictions , that asset is fully capable of making real-time , on board decisions to maximise safety and productivity . To meet Code of Practice requirements we have had to rein in the time our system will continue outside of comms but are excited to continue to push that boundary as we prove that enabling the machine is the safest approach . In those periods of communications outages the machine will continue on the mission with all sensors , parameters and controls operating normally . If an event or incident occurs at a site level that requires immediate site wide operations to cease then the automated machine will not receive that message until communications are restored . Given our systems will initially be deployed with a configurable out of comms period of between 0.5 and 2 seconds , we do not see this being a safety issue .
Q Are there plans to fit the system to the Bis Rexx mining truck ? A There are . We ’ ve had a number of genuine enquiries on this and are considering delaying the Australian 775 for two to three months to fast track the automation of the Rexx for the middle of this year .
Q Can you give some sense of how successful the Israel trial has been and is the customer now looking to install the system on multiple units ? A It has gone incredibly well . We ’ ve learnt a lot and been able to get some great filming complete on the back of meeting our mining operational requirements . The quarry owner has now engaged with us to see if we can
Q Can you expand on how your trucks can take corrective action themselves to avoid obstacles or poor road conditions such as altering their route without input ? Have you proven this ? A This is core to our automation technology . The self-pathing and perception algorithms have been proven in over 100 assets in the defence industry and have now been proven in our trials on a mining asset . This ranges from the detection and avoidance of obstacles , the analysis and selection of optimum pathways on the road and identifying changing road conditions that go beyond the machine ’ s performance capabilities , such as road wash outs . tremendous impact of this technology .”
Through this partnership , SafeAI and Position Partners will work with MACA to retrofit its large , mixed fleet of haul trucks with autonomous hardware and software . MACA will be the first contract miner to deploy AI-powered autonomy for its customers , establishing safer , more productive and more cost-effective operations . “ With SafeAI ’ s scalable , AI-powered technology , we can quickly deploy autonomous heavy equipment across our sites – creating safer , more productive operations and setting a new standard for our industry ,” said Mike Sutton , CEO and Managing Director of MACA .
This partnership follows a successful proof of concept between the three companies at the Karlawinda gold mine owned by Capricorn Metals and comes on the heels of a year of significant growth for SafeAI . In 2021 , SafeAI expanded into four new countries , doubled its headcount , released an industry-first operating system and raised a Series A round of funding in June 2021 . MACA added : “ The MoU marks a significant milestone in the development and deployment of contractor autonomy and on MACA ’ s pursuit of this exciting technology . Following a successful
six month proof of concept trial at the Karlawinda operations , the rollout will now focus on the deployment of autonomy to a multiple truck environment , in addition to retrofitting various truck types at numerous site locations . MACA made a modest investment in SafeAI in 2021 which has been validated by the successful proof of concept trial .”
MACA says it is also looking at a whole of life battery solution for mining vehicles . This will include maximising the usage of batteries by channelling them during their operational life from high demand utilisation such as in large
58 International Mining | MAY 2022