Get FinancingKomatsu’s FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System Hits 2 Billion-Ton Milestone
Komatsu’s FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) has moved over 2 billion tons of surface material since it first launched in 2008. The past three years have seen major growth for the platform as it went over one billion tons in 2016, 1.5 billion tons in 2017, and finally two billion tons this year. Over 130 trucks have contributed to this milestone figure, and Komatsu says “an additional 150 trucks will deploy to the Canadian oil sands over the next seven years.”
You’ll currently find FrontRunner AHS in action on seven worksites over three continents moving materials like iron, oil sands, and copper. “The ongoing investment in technology and equipment by major mining companies in Chile, Australia, and Canada underscores their belief in the value of autonomous haulage,” says Anthony Cook, vice president of autonomous and communications solutions at Komatsu-subsidiary Modular Mining Systems.
How Komatsu FrontRunner Works
FrontRunner AHS uses vehicle controllers, GPS navigation, obstacle dedication technology, and Modular Mining Systems’ DISPATCH Fleet Management System to turn dump trucks like the Komatsu 980E-4 into autonomous hauling machines. The trucks are then managed by a centralized computer control system, which determines route, speed, and other directions. FrontRunner AHS is also proven to be a safe solution as it has maintained a zero-harm record for 10 years.
“AHS continues to play an increasingly crucial role in effective mine management as more and more operations transition from manned to unmanned fleets,” says Dan Funcannon, vice president and general manager of Komatsu America’s Large Mining Truck Division. “As the demand for autonomous systems grows, Komatsu will continue raising the bar in an effort to help mines provide safer working environments, maximize production, and reduce operating costs.”
Future Goals
Komatsu will continue to innovate in the automated haulage space and plans to improve how the system handles mixed operations where autonomous and manned vehicles work side by side. The company also wants to work with other parties in the industry to create a “standardization of interoperability between Komatsu and non-Komatsu autonomous vehicles” to make sure that all machines on worksite are operating at safely as possible.
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Source: Komatsu