Future mining: Autonomous vehicles to be used by 2020

According to Timetric’s Mining Intelligence Centre (MIC), 48 % of miners across both Europe and the Former Soviet Union (FSU) intend to use autonomous vehicles by 2020. In a recent survey of over 100 mine managers and other senior decision-makers at operating mines in 23 European and FSU countries, including: Russia, Sweden, Germany, Poland and Finland, respondents were asked if autonomous vehicles were currently present on-site, and if not, what time-frame is in place for this technology to be implemented.

 

Overall, 31 % of respondents were using autonomous vehicles on-site, with a higher proportion in the more advanced Scandinavian countries (44 %). This compares favourably with the less advanced economies in Eastern Europe where only 11 % were using autonomous vehicles. The rate of take up of automation differed by region and corresponded with the diverse levels of economic development in the countries covered in the survey, with advanced Scandinavian countries considered alongside less advanced, developing FSU countries.

 

While vehicle automation has yet to be widely adopted, this is expected to change by 2020. A further 25 % of respondents indicated they will be implementing the technology by 2020, with half of these planning to implement automation within the next two years. Thus by 2020, autonomous vehicles are predicted to be in use in 44 % of surface operations and 51 % of underground operations. This is a significant increase from the current 31 % of all operations covered in Timetric’s primary survey.

 

www.timetric.com

Related articles:

Asian miners transition towards digital mining

According to Timetric’s Mining Intelligence Center (MIC), Asian mines are transitioning towards digital mining, as demonstrated by continuing investment in design software and mine surveying. In a...

more

Autonomous ADT platform

A focus on improving ease of operation to provide more efficient and safer Articulated Dump Trucks (ADTs) has consistently kept Bell Equipment at the forefront of innovation. The global ADT specialist...

more

Customer survey reveals standout satisfaction with TOMRA Mining service support

The Customer Survey, conducted for TOMRA Mining’s Service Team by market research company B2B Research, revealed a standout level of overall satisfaction with a remarkable average score of 6.3 on a...

more

New mobile supervisory system launched for global mining autonomy

ABD Solutions, one of the leading vehicle automation providers, has developed a new Mobile Supervisory System for its vehicle automation solution, Indigo Drive. It allows mining vehicles to be...

more

Mining vehicle from Fermel named finalist for Swedish Steel Prize 2017

For developing the Maverick range of dedicated light duty vehicles (LDV) for mining, which provide maintenance, repair and lifecycle advantages never before seen on the market, Fermel has been named a...

more