Komatsu teleoperated mining excavator in Arizona…from Vegas

In a demonstration that gave audiences a glimpse of what mining or construction could look like in the future, Komatsu successfully operated its semi-autonomous PC7000-11 hydraulic excavator located in Arizona from a trade fair booth in Las Vegas, some 400 miles away.

The demo took place at the recent MINExpo trade fair held at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, where Komatsu displayed its latest mining technology and machinery.

During the demo, the operator is seated at a simulator-type setup with screens and controls laid out in front of him. But instead of controlling a virtual machine when operating the joystick, the operator is in fact controlling a real machine some 643km away.

The screens in front of him were showing a live view of the job site, instead of a non-existent virtual world.

Komatsu's innovative teleoperation technology uses an Immersive Technologies console that provides the user information and views of what is seen from the machine’s actual cab onsite. Multiple cameras and sensors around the machine and bucket, as well as a 360-degree monitor and machine display, support visibility and situational awareness for the remote operator. 

Komatsu developed the technology with the hopes of helping customers advance their safety and productivity goals in the demanding and competitive mining sector.

If machines can be remotely operated from afar, the cost savings for companies will be significant as they would no longer need to spend a fortune on flying operators in from around the country or the world to the site to carry out their jobs.

With teleoperation, operators are also not subject to the harsh environment of mines and can be more productive operating the machine in a dust-free, more comfortable environment.

When paired with Komatsu’s Autonomous Haulage System (AHS), the PC7000-11 features semi-automated teleoperation capabilities to reduce cycle times and combat operator fatigue. Operator-assist with augmented reality (AR) technology supports productivity improvement, displaying information and data to provide real-time feedback to production plan.

Leveraging the machine’s onboard sensors and technologies of Modular Mining and Immersive Technologies, each loading shift is accumulated in the data and translated into insights on ways to potentially improve productivity, safety and reduce running costs. This data is incorporated into online real-time coaching as well as offline coaching. An operator guidance and coaching function is also under development utilising AR technology.

Development of the semi-autonomous 700-ton-class hydraulic excavator with teleoperation is nearing completion and Komatsu plans to trial the concept machine at a customer site in 2022.

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