SafeAI and MACA have partnered up to retrofit 100 heavy equipment vehicles with autonomous technology. (Image Credit: SafeAI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) driving a 360-ton dump truck with a 493-ton payload? What could possibly go wrong?
Australian-based gold mining company MACA is making a big splash with massive robots. After its successful proof of concept gold mine, the contractor plans on retrofitting 100 of its vehicles with autonomous technology to run the world's largest autonomous heavy equipment fleet.
Both SafeAI, an autonomous heavy equipment company, and Position Partners are running the new rollout. It serves as a significant improvement over the first-gen retrofits that provided minimal processing power and didn't see a return on investment for a while. Previous autonomous vehicle technologies ran on closed legacy systems that blocked communications from other vehicles. This technology has been in use for twenty years in various industries, such as mining. However, it's not very accessible, which keeps it from becoming more popular.
That's where Autonomy 2.0 makes a strong impact. These systems, running on AI and equipped with multimodal sensors (RADAR, LIDAR, camera), offer sufficient onboard processing power that decreases network reliance and supports quick decision-making. Since SafeAI's retrofit autonomy is open and interoperable, it can be implemented on any vehicle, no matter its age or manufacturer.
Overall, the tech is a huge upgrade for all those involved, including customers and relevant industries. SafeAI offers a versatile, scalable solution that outmatches all other options. It also greatly improves site safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. MACA expects a quick uptake from their customers while using this technology. As a result, this boosts scalability for relevant industries that are ready to implement autonomous equipment. Plus, autonomy promises a safer work environment for on-site employees.
In addition, extracting industries, such as mining, could perform more efficiently. With personal computing and battery technologies seeing higher demand for resources, autonomous technologies provide additional capabilities for those industries.
Have a story tip? Message me at: http://twitter.com/Cabe_Atwell