The biggest challenge, yet most impactful, of deploying an autonomous haulage system is having a robust change management process in place, beginning with a thorough evaluation of the technology applied to the existing operation. Upon successful evaluation, mines will generally assemble a cross-functional team, including representatives from operations, HR and labour relations, mine planning, engineering, and maintenance, who will be tasked with adapting the existing equipment.

At this point, we also enter into a non-disclosure agreement with the customer that enables us to share proprietary information about some of the technical details. 

Once the business case has been confirmed, the mine needs regulatory approval to deploy autonomous vehicles. These approvals are more than the use of the technology – the mine has to demonstrate that they understand how the system works and have segregation plans to keep autonomous equipment working only in designated areas. In addition, the mine needs safety and emergency procedures in place. The whole process typically takes about 12 months.

We have a group of about over 20 subject matter experts that work to train the customer in the field and help them through their regulatory processes. In some provinces, this is new territory for regulators, so we're often called upon to bring the regulators up to speed with the technology and the various safety implications. 

In parallel with that, we start work on putting an autonomous system in place, which involves setting up a central server that integrates with the existing IT systems. We also order Equipped Manual Vehicle (EMV) kits that outfit the existing equipment, e.g., loaders and dozers, with the technology they will need to communicate with the autonomous trucks. 

The key here is for operations people to learn how to apply the technology to reach optimum productivity. Each mine is unique, so much of this can only be realized when the system goes live. We provide substantial on-site support during this period, which typically lasts about three months, to transition the system's operation over to the customer as soon as possible. 

Once that's achieved, however, we see that not as an end but a beginning. AHS systems gather much more data than mines are used to, which proves to be significant in supporting continuous improvement aspects of the mining operation. So, the learning continues.