Epiroc subsidiary, Mobilaris, has launched Mobilaris Onboard, a mobile application that allows high accuracy positioning in underground mines without any positioning infrastructure.
The technology acts as a mobile radar showing oncoming traffic, while also making miners aware of the whole real-time situation in the mine.
Mobilaris Hybrid Positioning allows users to know the position of a vehicle with five to 10 metres accuracy.
The technology increases transparency and safety while decreasing traffic congestions by helping users avoid other vehicles or giving miners a warning when meetings occur.
Epiroc global business manager Ulla Korsman-Kopra said Mobilaris had made large strides in terms of safety, productivity and smooth traffic flow by visualising the traffic situation from inside the cabin of vehicles and mobile mining machines.
“All miners understand the huge value of advance notice of on-coming traffic. They will all have higher certainty of the actual situation in the mine and that is a benefit that cannot be understated,” Korsman-Kopra said.
The Boliden Kristineberg Mine was the first mine to adopt the Mobilaris Mining Intelligence system and it will be the first to upgrade to Mobilaris Onboard.
Boliden Kristineberg mine manager Andreas Suup said, “Before, we had to drive our co-workers around and show them the ropes before allowing them to be self-sufficient in the mine.
“With this system, we have realised that we can use positioning, type that into the system and they will get a waypoint in the system showing them exactly where to go. It means that that our co-workers can get to a production site in short notice.
“We have to be able to attract young people. We want to be high-tech, and this is definitely a step towards taking the mining industry to a higher level of digitalisation.”