Health & safety
All hands off deck
Mining vehicles transport a variety of sensitive materials, from precious ore to fuel and explosives. With the potential cost of mishap being so high and the risk to human life being increasingly unjustifi able, mining companies are turning to advanced driver assistance systems to prioritise safety at every turn. Nikki Peach hears from Foretellix’s vice-president of specialised vehicles, Erik Gulbrandsen and head of marketing, Dan Atzmon, on the importance of process validation and why mines are poised for a digital future.
I
f any industry stands to benefit from safety-driven automation, it’s mining. With extreme weather conditions, unknown obstacles and varying terrain, the hazard count on mining sites is unpredictable for even the sharpest of human minds – but not for machines. In an increasingly digitalised world, the mining industry is embracing emerging technologies that reduce human error to create a safer and more efficient working environment. While automation is bound to reduce the human workforce, it is the safety of humans that is driving this change. Foretellix – a platform provider automating the testing and validation of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles – works with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and mine operators to generate an almost infinite number of tests, and uses big data analytics to ensure these new technologies are safe to deploy.
36
The company is working with dozens of OEMs and mining companies to implement this technology, building on Foretellix’s roots testing ADAS technology in the automotive space. In that market, ADAS has been around for some time – according to a 2021 research report from Canalys, approximately 33% of new vehicles sold in the US, Europe, China and Japan had ADAS features. By 2030, the company predicts that 50% of all automobiles on the road will be ADAS-enabled.
“Mining is a mechanical industry, it’s all about moving stuff,” explains Dan Atzmon, head of marketing. “As is happening in automotives, the stuff that’s being moved is no longer just using mechanical technology – there is a lot of software coming into the industry.” “ADAS augments the human driver, but you still need one,” adds Erik Gulbrandsen, vice-president of specialised vehicles. Drivers are faced with rocks on
World Mining Frontiers /
www.nsenergybusiness.com
ProStockStudio/
Shutterstock.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45
