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PRESS RELEASE: Suncor is the first company to implement autonomous haulage system (AHS) technology in Canadian open-pit mining. While the AHS system has taken operators out of trucks, personnel will continue to work within the autonomous area. These personnel need to be trained effectively to interact with the autonomous trucks in a safe yet efficient manner and simulators from Immersive Technologies are a key part of the training for this unique environment.
Ravitha Sukumaran, product manager – autonomous systems at Immersive Technologies, said: “From the experience gained working with autonomous haulage mine sites in Chile, Australia and Canada, it is clear that a major hurdle to the successful implementation of any AHS system is training and workforce development. Mining personnel are required to think and work differently, often with more complex job tasks, to ensure the safe and productive operation of an AHS. AHS training requires thorough procedural training with a number of ‘what if’ scenarios and simulation is the ideal tool to train operators to effectively interact with the autonomous machines in a safe and efficient manner.”
The training investment includes three LX3 simulators, which provide a highly detailed and realistic training environment for personnel operating vehicles within the autonomous haulage zone, and include interaction with the Komatsu FrontRunner panel. This investment is designed to:
- Increase safety by removing risk to personnel, property and equipment during training;
- Prepare operators to be competent working with the AHS FrontRunner panel;
- Improve training effectiveness by allowing trainees to operate the machine in a safe and efficient manner while performing various AHS related tasks;
- Reduce the amount of in-field training time; and
- Ensure personnel are trained and assessed in a consistent manner.
Immersive Technologies stated that it has a history of collaborating within the mining industry to overcome major challenges and has been part of numerous AHS and mining automation training projects across the globe.
