Scania and Rio Tinto trialling autonomous truck in Western Australian mine
Scania is testing a new generation autonomous transport system at Rio Tinto‘s Dampier Salt operations in Western Australia.
The first phase of the trial started in August 2018 and involves a Scania XT 8×4 autonomous tipper truck working separately from Dampier‘s active operations.
During this initial stage, a safety driver rides in the vehicle to observe the truck‘s performance and, if necessary, intervenes. In subsequent phases, additional autonomous Scania trucks will be added to develop vehicle-vehicle awareness and intelligent fleet supervisory controls.
“We‘re pleased to be
Björn Winblad, head of Scania Mining, said that given their high vehicle
“The industry can reap the safety and productivity benefits of automation, and the experience gained here will be instrumental in developing fully autonomous solutions for other transport applications. It is very encouraging to note that the truck has been performing in a safe manner and in accordance with expectations with regards to the operations.”
Rio Tinto has pioneered the use of automation in the mining industry, with the largest fleet of driverless trucks, the world‘s first fully autonomous heavy haul,