CAS & FATIGUE
Torsa’ s complementary CAS and anti-fatigue solutions
Spain-headquartered Torsa’ s CAS and anti-fatigue systems it says have become established as complementary solutions that address two critical factors in mining: safe interaction between equipment and the real condition of the operator. The operational integration of both systems enables progress towards what Torsa has defined as Augmented Operation, a model in which technology assists the operator where the risk is highest, without interfering with driving or adding unnecessary cognitive load.
The CAS manages the interaction between vehicles, pedestrians and objects through situational analysis that considers visibility, relative speed, position, terrain dynamics, the equipment involved and the operator’ s real reaction capability. This selective approach avoids alert saturation caused by false positives and focuses only on events that represent an actual risk. In
Next generation underground safety: IWT’ s Guardian™ Proximity System
Underground mining is one of the world’ s most challenging industries, particularly concerning worker safety. The combination of heavy machinery operating in confined spaces and low visibility presents a persistent risk of accidents. According to the United States Mine Safety and Health Administration( MSHA), powered haulage incidents continue to account for a significant portion of fatalities, underscoring the urgent need for improved technological solutions. Innovative Wireless Technologies, Inc( IWT) says it is leading the charge with the Guardian™ Proximity System, an intelligent, Radio Frequency( RF)-based solution designed to prevent collisions between mobile haulage equipment and personnel.
IWT Guardian™ Proximity System control box
IWT told IM:“ Guardian represents a significant step forward as a second-generation proximity detection system. It was specifically engineered to overcome the critical flaws of earlier systems that relied on electromagnetic( EM) technology. EM-based solutions, while widely used, are prone to interference in the dense electrical environment of an underground mine. This interference can be caused by high voltage AC lines, electrical equipment, and even miners’ co-located personal dust monitors, leading to signal disruption and unreliable detection.”
Guardian was designed to mitigate these issues with its advanced RF technology. Its RF transmissions exhibit much better interference protection and provide improved location accuracy, making it a more reliable safety tool in the underground environment. Another critical advantage of the Guardian system’ s high-frequency RF technology is its ability to use the reflection of RF energy for location even when the miner is not in the operator’ s line of sight. This non-line-of-sight capability is essential for safety in mine crosscuts and around blind corners. The RF signals can also penetrate obstructions like brattice curtains and track the location of miners behind them.
Miners wear a small, high bandwidth radio transceiver- about the size and weight of a deck of cards- which the Guardian sensors on vehicles use to determine the miner’ s distance from the vehicle. The system provides highly repeatable location calculations multiple times per second for any miner within range around the vehicle. This precision allows for location detection repeatable within inches.
The Guardian system integrates directly with the vehicular controls on mobile haulage equipment. Guardian automatically adjusts detection thresholds based on vehicle speed and direction, and allows for customisation of the threshold geometry based on each mine’ s operational needs and safety requirements.
The system uses an intelligent throttle and brake algorithm to avoid unnecessarily abrupt stops when miners are detected well in advance. Instead, Guardian will decrease the throttle as appropriate to allow mining operations to continue safely at reduced speeds while the miner clears the warning area.“ So if the miner’ s distance to the vehicle is reduced to the warning threshold, the miner will receive audible and visible warnings. These warnings begin well in advance of the vehicle’ s arrival, allowing the miner to take evasive action before there is any effect on production operations. But also, during this time, the Guardian system is gently reducing the vehicle throttle. If the miner does not take evasive action, and the distance has been minimised to the braking threshold, Guardian’ s vehicular controls will initiate to a full braking condition for collision avoidance.”
Guardian’ s capabilities can be magnified by its integration with IWT’ s SENTINEL™ wireless mesh-based RF platform, the IWT’ s wireless backbone for communications and tracking. While Guardian is fully operational without SENTINEL data connectivity, the combination of the two technologies provides real-time operational insight into underground operations. Guardian systems include an embedded Wi-Fi and optional SENTINEL transceiver, which allows mines to include the vehicle tracking and status into their existing mapping display in the operations center. This connectivity provides real-time data exchange and allows operations personnel immediate access to critical proximity incidents overlayed on a mine map.
With this expanded capability, Guardian provides immediate safety improvements while also becoming a powerful data resource. The system logs interactions between personnel and vehicles, providing insights into movement patterns and high-risk zones. This data, augmented by SENTINEL analytics platform, enables mining operations to:
• Identify hotspots: pinpoint areas where near-miss events occur to implement focused training or additional safety measures
• Improve Operational Adjustments: optimise traffic flow and equipment deployment for enhanced safety and productivity
• Demonstrate Compliance: Detailed records help demonstrate that robust safety measures are in place, potentially reducing legal exposure and benefiting from lower insurance premiums IWT concludes:“ By implementing Guardian, mine operators are not only improving immediate safety but also investing in a futureready solution that aligns with the broader industry trend toward semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicle capabilities. Guardian’ s automated control provides a solid foundation for the gradual shift toward a safer, smarter, and more efficient mine.
82 International Mining | JANUARY 2026