The trial will start in the autumn and, says Volvo, one truck will cover a distance of 7km, reaching 1,320 metres underground in the narrow mine tunnels. Over the coming year, the operation will gradually increase to include another three similar vehicles.
The vehicles are series-built models but with added functionality, including a radar/laser-based sensor system. This has been used to monitor the mine’s geometry and to generate a route map for the vehicle. The information was then used to set the vehicle’s speed, steering and gear changes. On every additional trip, the sensors are employed to further optimise the route and the operation.
Currently, during blasting operations, drivers must wait until the mine gallery has been ventilated before loading the ore. However, there is no such restriction with a self-driving vehicle, so the truck can be used more efficiently and perform more tasks per shift.
If an obstacle appears near the truck, the vehicle will stop automatically and the transport management centre is alerted. Of the six sensors included in the system, there are always two that monitor the same part of the truck’s surroundings. If a fault occurs with the truck, it can be remotely operated from the transport centre.
“This is the first time ever that self-driving trucks are being tested in regular operations underground and the results will provide valuable input to our on-going mission to transform technical breakthroughs into practical customer benefits,” says Claes Nilsson, president of Volvo Trucks.