Where to now for Mining Autonomous Haulage Systems?
With over 12 years of commercial operation of Autonomous Haul Systems in Australian mining operations, it's crucial to reflect on the journey and evaluate how far we've come—or perhaps how far we haven't. Has it lived up to the success story envisioned all those years ago?
After an initial few years of trials and experimentation with AHS aimed at enhancing safety, refining software and hardware, and studying feasibility, the pivotal decision was made to fully embrace AHS as a novel approach to mining.
Where is AHS now?
Initially the early adopters had grand plans and even more grandiose time frames for when it would all happen. The potential of AHS and what it could do for the mining processes was endless.
Now anyone that has worked with AHS intimately understands the huge leaps AHS has achieved for the safety of an open cut mining operation, this alone is a very compelling business case for deciding to implement AHS.
Standalone AHS is not really an autonomous system, it’s better described as a remote operating system. AHS still basically requires just as many inputs from the humans - to make a lot of the important decisions, complete most of the physical tasks, the AHS trucks are simply travelling from point A, B then C without direct physical inputs from an operator.
In the beginning AHS efficiency and productivity was much more aligned to what one would expect from an automated system. The AHS operating areas were tightly managed and controlled to avoid unwanted interaction, operators were better skilled and more knowledgeable about how the system worked and the ways to best adapt to it, AHS area design was better adapted to compliment AHS performance.
As technology expands, more individuals influence the external processes and decision-making that impact how AHS systems perform. Unfortunately, some decisions can have significant negative repercussions on the efficient operation of AHS trucks. Often, these decisions stem from a lack of knowledge or understanding of what is required to complement AHS performance. Instead, the focus tends to be on adapting the system to fit existing conditions. Frankly speaking, if a mine site cannot adjust its operations to align with optimal AHS conditions and practices, then perhaps AHS is not the right fit for them.
Where to next?
For AHS to really start and reach its full potential there needs to be a whole lot of advancements in:
-Automating decision making processes
-Incorporating other technologies that compliment AHS productivity
-Focus on operator skills and knowledge
-Process thinking improvements when operating AHS
Automating decisions
While there are some automated decisions being made by the system, these are generally not well understood or are often overridden by manual inputs. These algorithms were developed for manually mining operations back in the late 80s and 90s! Automated decision-making software needs to be able to make more holistic decisions that are much more conducive to AHS operating practices and processes for the modern mine requirements.
Incorporating other technologies
Incorporating new advancements in technology into these autonomous systems is still in its infancy and requires much more cooperation and development going forward. There are many cases of useful technologies that are currently available on the market that could enhance an autonomous operation, but they do not easily integrate for various reasons.
Operator skill & Knowledge
AHS skills training and knowledge is something that is still in a relatively immature state, it is often accepted that an AHS operator is trained once they complete the basic safety and skills function training. However this does not set the operator up for the requirements to become more efficient and skilled in interacting in the AHS pit, providing knowledge and expertise in understanding the huge amount of data and how to use it to improve their practices.
Process thinking improvement
Operating in an AHS mine demands a highly disciplined, process-driven approach. AHS thrives on consistency and repeatability. While system thinking remains important, the key to success lies in having a team of operators with a process-driven mindset. They work off well-designed, efficient, and successfully proven AHS processes to ensure smooth operations and maximise productivity.
While AHS has somewhat taken a back seat to other pressing industry objectives, there's still a long journey ahead before AHS reaches its envisioned productive potential. With mining companies increasingly focused on reducing their environmental footprint and enhancing efficiency with existing AHS equipment, the role of specialised AHS services companies becomes vital in unlocking the necessary gains.
The future of AHS remains bright, but significant improvements are still needed.
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