[Tech Talk] Autonomous Driving Is Amazing Technology... But Some People Say "This Place Has Been Like This for 10 Years"

The Mining Industry, Where Autonomous Driving Systems Emerged in the 2000s
A Dangerous Work Environment Where Even a Small Mistake Can Cost Lives
Leading to an Innovative, Automation-Oriented Industrial Landscape

The day when autonomous vehicles become commercially available still seems far off. Tesla's FSD (Full-Self Driving) has repeatedly been embroiled in collision controversies, and the 'Robo-taxi' introduced first in San Francisco, USA, has sharply divided public opinion.

However, this is only the case in general road conditions. Autonomous vehicles are already actively used in mining sites. In fact, the mining industry began adopting autonomous driving technology about 10 years ago, long before autonomous driving artificial intelligence (AI) gained attention.

Autonomous trucks are already operating in 'mines'

Komatsu autonomous truck released in 2019.
[Image source=Captured from Komatsu YouTube]

Last March, Komatsu Ltd., one of the world's largest mining equipment manufacturers, announced that sales of its autonomous driving system for mineral transport trucks surpassed 700 units. These trucks have already been deployed across mining sites worldwide, having traveled tens of thousands of kilometers and transported tens of thousands of tons of minerals.

Caterpillar, a U.S. company that rivals Komatsu in the industry, had already sold more than 500 autonomous trucks by 2022, which are actively used in well-known mining sites including those in Australia.

Today, the transport trucks used in mines are called 'Haul trucks' or 'Ultra trucks.' They are on a completely different scale compared to large trucks commonly seen on roads, capable of carrying 400 to 500 tons of minerals at once. Heavy industry manufacturers like Caterpillar and Komatsu have been equipping haul trucks with autonomous driving modules and selling them since around 2013. These unmanned haul trucks are referred to as 'AHS (Autonomous Haul System)'.

Active for 11 years... three years before AlphaGo appeared

In other words, the mining industry had already established unmanned transport systems before AI became a hot topic in the IT industry. DeepMind, the British company that became the pioneer of today's neural network-based AI, was acquired by Google in 2014, and AlphaGo was revealed to the world two years later in 2016.

The reason mining companies succeeded in autonomous driving, while Silicon Valley tech companies have faced setbacks, is actually simple. First, most advanced mining facilities in countries like Australia are already unmanned. Therefore, even haul trucks equipped with basic autonomous driving modules can create a fairly stable transport system and traffic network.

Mining, where lives are at stake, forced innovation

The mining industry is known for aggressively adopting automation and unmanned technologies. Remote-controlled robots operating in deep mining zones.
[Image source=Captured from ABB YouTube]

But above all, the most important factor was the mining industry's determination to adopt automation technology. Contrary to common stereotypes, mining is known for proactively adopting cutting-edge IT and communication technologies. Robotics, remote control, and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors were embraced much earlier than in other industries.

For example, remote control systems in underground mines were already introduced in the mid-1970s. Robotics systems that fully automated specific tasks appeared in mines from the early 2000s.

The reason mining has staked its life on automation is due to extremely hazardous working environments. Underground mines have long been notorious for safety issues, and this remains true today. Open-pit mines are equally dangerous. When it rains and mud forms, heavy haul trucks frequently slip, leading to fatal safety accidents. To protect workers' lives, work cannot proceed in bad weather, slowing progress.

In fact, companies like Caterpillar see the strength of AHS as its 'stability to operate 24 hours a day regardless of weather.' Thanks to this, mines that adopted AHS reportedly reduced costs by 20% and improved productivity by 30%. Ultimately, the mining industry's drive for innovation was an inevitable result created by the harsh labor environment.