SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT
Indigo Drive can be installed into any vehicle already in use
need it most, reducing downtime and delays caused by staff shortages. “Indigo Drive can be installed into any
vehicle already in use, negating the need to invest in new machinery. Te benefit of this approach is substantial, not only do driverless vehicles improve safety, they also enable site operations to become more streamlined and efficient. It goes a long way to supporting ESG imperatives, as pressure for this continues to build in the mining industry.”
SMART SOFTWARE ECO-SYSTEM So how does the technology work? It provides all the elements required to create driverless fleets through a single software eco-system. Tese elements include the technology required to control the vehicle, such as drive- by-wire and driving robots; the vehicle perception and obstacle detection system (LiDAR, camera, radar); a user-friendly software interface for route-planning and vehicle management; a communication system (Radio, V2X, GPS/GNSS) and vehicle health and diagnostics monitoring (OBD2, telemetry, sensors). Te hardware ABD Solutions uses to
provide automation requires only minor modifications to the vehicle and is semi- permanent, allowing it to be moved from one vehicle to another should requirements change, or if the vehicle needs maintenance. Te equipment is non-intrusive, allowing
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the vehicle to be used autonomously or manually driven whilst the equipment is fitted, considerably increasing the vehicle’s operational flexibility. Indigo Drive enables the entire fleet to be synchronised and managed on one platform to maximise productivity and efficiency. Its task planning software ensures that vehicles take the most efficient routes, reducing fuel consumption and time to complete operations. Vehicles that detect obstructions can communicate them to the fleet management system to prevent others from encountering the same issue. Once the obstruction has been flagged the vehicle management system can generate an alternative route or an operator can remote into the vehicle to immediately assess the situation.
A critical indirect benefit of the system is the digitisation of information from the vehicle. It creates new data streams that are invaluable to fleet operators. Te vehicle’s speed, location, fuel level, diagnostic status, distance to target etc can all be relayed via the vehicle management toolset. Data analytics can automatically process this information to assist with operational decisions, fleet maintenance scheduling and logistics planning.
A POSITIVE RECEPTION Te technology has already sparked the interest of major mining operations around the world. As well as a partnership with Kyokuto Boeki Kaisha (KBK), one of
Japan’s leading engineering consultancies, ABD Solutions also recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Jevons Robotics to integrate Indigo Drive into a suite of automation- enabled industrial electric vehicles. Tese vehicles will be operated automatically and supervised from a central control room improving safety and streamlining the mining process, both operationally and financially. It has also announced a similar agreement with Amaroq Minerals, to investigate the potential for the introduction of vehicle autonomy systems for various mining vehicles at the Nalunaq site in Greenland. “Te Nalunaq site is particularly remote
and unpredictable, even for the mining industry. It can be difficult to persuade people to come and work in these types of environments,” says Price. “Our work with Amaroq Minerals is a great example of how automation, through our technology, can help to provide an immediate solution to one of the biggest concerns facing the mining industry at the moment.” For many operators, the step towards
a new, fully autonomous mining fleet always seemed a stretch too far. Often, in established industries such as mining, these big leaps need a catalyst for change. Indigo Drive’s ability to cost-effectively automate existing fleets, combined with the declining workforce challenge that is set to worsen could be what kick-starts the mining automation revolution.
LEFT: Indigo Drive user interface BELOW: An RA30 and Ford Ranger with Indigo Drive installed for vehicle autonomy
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