Scania tests autonomous truck with Rio Tinto

Scania is testing an autonomous truck at Rio Tinto’s Dampier Salt operations in Western Australia.

The first phase of the trial started in August 2018 and involves a Scania XT 8×4 autonomous tipper truck.

Testing involves a safety driver riding in the vehicle to observe the truck’s performance and intervene if necessary.

Additional autonomous Scania trucks will be added to develop vehicle to vehicle awareness and intelligent fleet supervisory controls.

Rio Tinto head of productivity and technical support Rob Atkinson says the technology can greatly benefit mining operations.

“We’re pleased to be trialling this technology in trucks that are smaller than our traditional haul trucks. This has the potential to give us more flexibility in the way we operate in a number of areas across Rio Tinto.

“We have seen automation create safer and more efficient operations in our business and this is a next step in evaluating options for delivering further improvements through the use of technology.”

Scania mining head Björn Winblad mining sites provide “ideal” testing conditions for autonomous technology.

“The industry can reap the safety and productivity benefits of automation, and the experience gained here will be instrumental in developing fully autonomous solutions for other transport applications.

“It is very encouraging to note that the truck has been performing in a safe manner and in accordance with expectations with regards to the operations,” Winblad says.

Rio Tinto has pioneered the use of automation in the mining industry, with the largest fleet of driverless trucks, the world’s first fully-autonomous heavy haul, long distance rail network, and fully autonomous production drills.