In the last few years, the pace of innovation has picked up. Scott Schellenberg, Senior Director, Smart Mining, observes that the technology on both the software and truck intelligent sensor side is evolving at a pace we haven’t seen. “That’s what’s allowing a lot of our customers to bring this on board and maximize their value.”

AHS was introduced in Canada in 2013. Back then, the only AHS operations around the world were in hard rock mines, so the system had to be modified for oilsands operations in Canada. By 2016, it was ready for a commercial-scale trial in a production environment. The rest, as they say, is history.

Now, about 150 autonomous Komatsu haul trucks are active across the Canadian mining industry, with that number expected to exceed 190 by the end of 2025. Brown says that mines are considering AHS as the next step in optimizing mine operations, and they’re turning to it for three key benefits:

• Safety — An autonomous system makes things predictable, and the risk of human error is mitigated. Brown says that when he asks operators what the impact of AHS has been, “the first thing they’ll always say is, I feel much safer in the mine.” He expects that as sensors and AI start to become more prominent, the level of safety will be further advanced.
• Efficiency — Not only are fewer people required to operate the heavy equipment, but an AHS fleet also uses less fuel and requires less maintenance thanks to its predictability.
• Productivity — An autonomous operation makes system-wide optimization easier. In optimizing one truck, you’re optimizing the entire fleet. This can cover things like speed, cycle times, queuing times and loads. “You can really start to drive productivity everywhere in a consistent manner,” says Brown.

Find out more about AHS and how SMS Equipment can help you implement it into your mine.