MINING TRUCKS
neural network that took place in SafeAI ’ s system development was a major breakthrough . AI has made our machines smarter – but that would not have been possible with the hardware that was available a decade ago . We freely admit that we are building on a lot of the work done by the major OEMs on AHS – standing on the shoulder of giants if you like – but these systems have embedded limitations which can now be resolved with the hardware , AI and computing power – all of which have seen a step change in the last five years . A good comparison is with mobile phones – you would not have the functionality of today ’ s phones on things like Uber or WhatsApp without Android or IOS . You are right the sensors are similar – but beyond that , SafeAI has its own operating system for autonomy , and our own end to end software stack . At heart , we are a software company . Our AI is an advantage because the computing power on our truck is on another level to anything else in the industry . We are also the only autonomous system provider in mining with a base system that is agnostic to the brand of machine and whether it is an ADT , rigid truck or dozer . Our software stack is a bolton to any machine with minor adjustments to the drive by wire . It sounds simple but is very difficult to replicate . We like to refer to it as Autonomy 2.0 - machine , hardware and OEM agnostic and AI-based . You can also plug in different sensors to the SafeAI system and it will keep running – LiDAR is evolving on an exponential scale in its abilities and the way our software stack is set up , you can work with new sensors very easily – pretty close to plug and play .
Q Will the AHS market evolve as a twin track with Cat Command for hauling and Komatsu FrontRunner on one side with the big mines that have committed to those systems on one side , and more nimble AI-based options and customers on the other ? What role does electrification play ? A I think yes , you will have both – but the influence of third party players like ourselves will only increase . The auto industry is investing $ 8 to 10 billion a year in electrification with autonomy – nobody in mining and construction can afford that so naturally , the ecosystem that results from what is happening in automotive will be mirrored in mining . The big OEMs can and will change but it will be a challenge for them and they will have to quickly accept that they cannot lock mining customers into their version of autonomy . We recently published a
SafeAI is collaborating with Siemens to create an autonomous , zero-emission heavy vehicle fleet for Obayashi Corp and is starting by retrofitting a 45 ton Cat 725 ADT , to battery electric
whitepaper titled ‘ Better together : Autonomy and Electrification in Heavy Industry .’ Industry ’ s electrification transition in tandem with the huge installed base of existing machines represents a level playing field for OEMs and new players in autonomy and zero emissions solutions . In that report , Shinya Sugiura , GM of Business Innovation Division at Obayashi states : “ Autonomy and electrification are the next frontier , but equipment upgrades often come with a steep price tag . Retrofitting enables operators to integrate these state-of-the-art offerings at a fraction of their original cost . By eliminating the logistical and financial hurdles of acquiring new vehicles , while also empowering operators to convert existing equipment , retrofitting offers a more pragmatic and scalable approach to technology adoption .” Heavy equipment is expensive : one conventional 25-ton truck typically costs $ 400,000 or more — and a new autonomous 200-ton haul truck can be worth up to $ 6 million . The purchase of new autonomous and electric vehicles only makes sense if a company needs to replace its expired equipment or has the capital to set up an entirely new fleet . By retrofitting vehicles , businesses can arm their existing fleet with state-of-the-art technology at a relatively lower investment and faster speed to market .
Q What progress have you made in the electric and autonomous market so far ? A In 2022 , SafeAI announced a collaboration with Siemens to create an autonomous , zeroemission heavy vehicle fleet for Obayashi Corporation and retrofitted the first 45 ton vehicle , a Cat 725 ADT , to battery electric – which is being followed by scaling across its fleet over a three-year period . They have a similar story to MACA in that they couldn ’ t get an OEM to commit to the vision and path that
they had . OEMs are very organised but also very structured , which makes it hard for them to innovate in a very agile way . From integrating automatic charging capabilities , to monitoring vehicle productivity metrics using an analytics suite , to building an accessible deployment platform for operators , regulators and tech developers alike , SafeAI is making tangible progress in merging self-driving capabilities with an all-electric powertrain . Bibhrajit Halder , Founder and CEO at SafeAI : “ Without autonomy , electrified vehicles don ’ t have the same safety , productivity , and outsized cost savings potential . Without electrification , autonomous vehicles don ’ t have the same sustainability and energy optimisation advantages . Each of these operational benefits build on one another to establish the best possible working conditions for construction and mining equipment — a feat otherwise impossible for the two technologies to achieve on their own .” The combined technologies also enable the use of smaller trucks on worksites . Retrofitting smaller equipment , 75-145 tons , to convert it to both electric and autonomous unlocks significant value from unused and sterilised assets . It can increase asset utilisation , extend asset life , reduce depreciation and maintenance costs , increase data extraction and improve the resale value .
Q What is SafeAI ’ s answer to fleet management and autonomy ? A On small mines and construction sites , they may only have four or five machines . They also can ’ t afford a massive and complex dispatch system . It has to be simple plus fast and easy to deploy , such as via an iPad . SafeAI ’ s Autonomous Management System is designed to automate entire fleets , streamline workflows and power 24 / 7 operations . Utilising both cloud-based and on-premise technology , ZENO™ allows operators to monitor and manage entire fleets of both autonomous and manned vehicles . Site planning , vehicle insights , fleet dispatching , real-time progress monitoring and job completion tracking are all at your fingertips — making autonomous management and execution far easier . And this is equally applicable at a big mine using a complex dispatch system for its main fleet – we will just bolt our solution allowing them to automate infrastructure fleets , light vehicles , contractor fleets – anything that isn ’ t covered by the existing system . For new mines where we also have the main fleet – we can use ZENO for everything .
50 International Mining | JULY 2023