The CAS will combine DENSO’s standards-based vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) connected vehicle technologies with Modular’s own software and hardware, enabling the CAS to help increase situational awareness and mitigate collision risk in a mine. 

Accordingly, the CAS leverages DENSO’s proven technologies to provide 360° situational awareness. Audible and visual alerts warn operators of potential collisions with other CAS-enabled equipment, while complex algorithms perform real-time risk assessment calculations to minimise nuisance alarms. 

As part of the collaboration, Modular said it is able to leverage DENSO’s many years of automotive safety and connected vehicle technology R&D, extensive automotive industry expertise and rigorous governmental safety testing and qualifications. The system works in several standard license-free frequencies, as well as in the licensed 5.9GHz dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) frequency spectrum, which prioritises safety over non-safety applications, and is designed to perform in extreme weather conditions including rain, fog, snow and heat. Modular and its customers will also benefit from DENSO’s future product enhancements and innovations as safety technologies evolve.

“Combining Modular’s leading solutions with DENSO’s V2V technology, including dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), will put the latest advances from global intelligent transportation systems into mines,” said Roger Berg, vice-president, North America research and development at DENSO. “The applications for V2V technology extend far beyond automotive, and we are confident our collaboration with Modular will improve the mining environment and contribute to safety in mines.”