FOLLOWING on from the news earlier this year that Komatsu and Rio Tinto are working together on automating trucks at Rios iron-ore operations in Australias Pilbara region Caterpillar has now announced what it described as an alignment with BHP Billiton to develop an autonomous mining haulage system. Caterpillar group president Stu Levenick commented: This close collaboration will focus on Caterpillar building an autonomous haulage system that will tightly integrate with BHP Billiton mining processes.