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Australia to use more driverless vehicles

MACHINES DRIVE THE FUTURE
Rio Tinto announced in 2011 that it would own the world’s largest fleet of driverless trucks

MACHINES DRIVE THE FUTURE Rio Tinto announced in 2011 that it would own the world’s largest fleet of driverless trucks

8th August 2014

  

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New research by UK-based information solutions and technologies company Timetric reveals that more autonomous vehicles, also known as driverless vehicles, will be used in large underground and surface iron-ore mines in Australia.

According to Timetric’s report, titled ‘Technology Investment Priorities in Australian Mining, 2014’, Australia’s share of underground mines using autonomous vehicles is expected to increase from 32% to 45% over the next ten years.

The report is based on a survey conducted by Timetric in February and March, which questioned over 110 mine managers, mainte-nance managers, procurement managers and other key decision-makers currently working in more than 90 Australian mines about their operations’ current investment intentions for technology and their views on the use of future technology such as autonomous vehicles.

The report found that the size of the mining company is crucial to the incorporation of driverless vehicles.

Thirty per cent of the survey respondents indicated that companies with revenues of more than $10-billion were already using autonomous vehicles. In contrast, only 3% of respondents from companies with revenues of less than $1-billion were using driverless technology.

Autonomous Acceptance Underground
The survey also revealed that the use of driverless trucks has generally been accepted in Australia’s iron-ore industry.

Timetric lead analyst Cliff Smee says, while there has been much focus on the use of autonomous vehicles at surface iron-ore operations, automation has mostly been applied in underground operations, where load- haul dump trucks have been operating since 1990.

Australia’s three major iron-ore producers, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals Group, have all introduced driverless technology at their operations, with plans for expansion.

Timetric’s report also suggests the likelihood that Australia’s east coast-based coal industry will also eventually implement driverless technology, as exploration company Stawell Corporation started a trial in 2013 and BHP Billiton also announced that it would trial the technology in 2014.

Collision Avoidance Prioritised
Investment in vehicle collision avoidance technology is one of the top investment priorities for the Australian mining industry for the next two years, says Timetric.

The company states that more than 30% of Australian miners plan to invest in collision avoidance – a technology that enables a heavy mobile machine to monitor its surroundings and to stop when it is likely to hit something or someone in its environment.

“This technology will prevent many deaths and accidents in the mining industry, as mining trucks and other equipment can have poor visibility,” notes Smee.

Timetric’s report also identifies noticeable variations in technology investments based on company size. For instance, larger companies with a revenue greater than $10-billion are more likely to pioneer new technologies, as large companies operate larger mines with larger fleets.

Edited by Samantha Herbst
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

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