It has been over a decade since Komatsu successfully deployed its autonomous mining trucks in Chile, and now the company is set to expand its autonomous range to include water trucks.
In mining, water trucks are important for dust suppression purposes to minimise pollution to the environment and reduce health risks for mine workers.
Komatsu is currently trialling the concept water truck which is based on the existing HD785-7 dump truck and features Komatsu’s proven Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) technology.
Komatsu’s AHS enables the water truck to travel autonomously on a pre-defined haul road and work cooperatively with other autonomous trucks and staffed equipment.
In addition, the technology can also control the amount of water disbursed according to the vehicle speed and haul road inclination to avoid overwatering.
Komatsu is aiming to have the HD785-based autonomous water truck as a commercial offering in 2022.