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Traffic Awareness and Vehicle Collision Warning Systems for Surface Mobile Equipment

April 2009

Steven Niven

Anglo Coal Regional Engineering Services

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ProfileSteven Niven

Control and Instrumentation Engineer Anglo Coal Regional Engineering Services

Qualified as An Electrical Technician British Steel Corporation 1978South Wales

Worked at Texaco & BP Petrochemical refinery's in West Wales

Emigrated to South Africa 1983 and worked at Highveld Steel (Strip Mill)

Joined Anglo Coal 1985 Goedehoop Colliery

Transferred to Anglo Coal Regional Engineering Services 2006

Presenter

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I would like to share with you today, the progress and learning's with regards to collision warning, for Open Pit operations within Anglo Coal.

IntroductionIntroduction

This presentation is not to endorse any one product or company but to give an overview of various technologies, what is available and currently in use.

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Content• Introduction• Content• Types of Collisions• Anglo Coal Road Map

• RFID Trials• Safemine GPS System• Collision Scenarios• Alarm Descriptions and Matrix• Vehicle Classification• Safemine Display Status

– System Status Indications– Traffic Awareness Far and Near Indication– Traffic Awareness Close Proximity (10mtrs)– Vehicle Operating Scenarios

• Test Station

Presentation Content

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Slow Speed Close Proximity

Vehicle Blind Spots

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Types of Collisions• Close Proximity Slow Speed.

Within 20 meters at less than 15km/h

• Long Range High speed At speeds from 15 to 60km/h

Open Pit Operations

12/03/0712/03/07

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These systems work on the principal of detecting potential threats (light vehicles or other haul trucks) in the direction of travel and provide sufficient warning time to allow the operator to take evasive action, either by applying brakes or slowing down to a controllable safe speed before swerving to avoid the vehicle.

Collision Warning Systems

Slow Speed Close Proximity

High Speed Long Range

Typically these systems are designed to assist the operator at start-up (before moving the machine) or whilst reversing.

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Collision Warning Road Map to Date

• October 2006 formation of the Anglo Collision Avoidance Working Group

• June 2007 installation of Orlarco & Brigade camera system at Klienkopjies to evaluate

• June 2007 testing of Pathfinder Forward Looking Infrared cameras (FLIR) at Kriel and Klienkopjies for haul trucks.

• August 2007 commenced trials of RFID and camera collision avoidance system at Landau for evaluation.

• February 2008 GPS proof of concept carried out at Sishen.

• August 2008 Commenced installation of Cameras on Surface Mobile Equipment at all operations.

• October 2008 Installation of Safemine GPS traffic awareness and collision warning system.

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RFID Collision Warning System Equipment

VehicleTransponder (TAG)

CAS Receiver & ControllerRF Signal

CAS Controller

DPOD Receiver

Vehicle Transponder

(TAG)

Light Vehicle System

Large Vehicle System (Haul Trucks)

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RFID Collision Warning System Coverage

80 Mtrs15 Mtrs

Front Field 20 - 80m

Right Field 10 - 30m

Left Field10 - 30m

Rear Field 10 -30m

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Detection range varies by as much as 30% depending on terrain

No alarm filtering, every time the system detects a tag on another vehicle it sounds the buzzer, this leads to complacency and the operator gets used to the alarm going off.

The operators find it difficult to determine which vehicle were being detected

Vehicle identified on the perimeter of the detection range tend to come and go on the CAS unit causing nuisance alarms.

Cluster display not bright enough during the day (being addressed in next version)

The system alarmed when the vehicle was stationary.

The system is quite complex and has many components.

As more vehicles have RFID equipment installed the number of alarms will increase.

Equipment had a large foot print in the cabin

RFID Findings

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• SafeMine previously known as FLARM• Base in Switzerland• Predominantly involved with aviation ( in excess of 10000 units)• Proof of concept trials carried out at Sishen February 2008 20 units• Development of a industrialised unit for mining with a compact and remote

display unit• Initial testing at Landau Colliery August 2008• Rollout to all of Anglo Coal open pit operations October 08 – April 09 (850

units)

Safemine GPS

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SAFEMINE GPS Aviation System

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Global Positioning System satellites transmit signals to equipment on the ground. The SAFEmine System GPS receiver passively receive the satellite signals to determine the vehicles position using trilateration.

There are about 24 operational GPS satellites at all times. ground stations are used to precisely track each satellite's orbitand correct their position. The SAFEmine Systemonly needs to receive positional information from 4 of the 24 satellites to predict an accurate collision path.

Unique to the SAFEmine system, is that the control units are constantly transmitting and receiving information from other units in close proximity. This additional information is processed by each unit using patented algorithms to determine and alert the operators of an imminent collision path. The SAFEminesystem greatly improves the GPS accuracy by using the differential position of the vehicles.

SafeMINE GPS

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SafeMINE GPS Systems

• Range 0 – 500 meters typically restricted by RF range

• Accuracy better than 3 metres

• Highly selective 3D track prediction minimizes "nuisance warnings"

• No radio network infrastructure needed, works anywhere with GPS

• Recalculation and retransmission positional information every 250 milli

seconds

• Well proven technology outside of mining

• Option of a compact unit or remote display unit

• Simple driver cabin installation, not requiring specialists

• Usable in all vehicle types (Haul trucks, light vehicles, graders, etc)

configurable vehicle size, type and characteristic

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SafeMINE GPS Components

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Open Pit Collision Scenarios

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Equipment and Installations

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Vehicle Classifications

Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Class 6

Lightvehicle

Bakie

Combi

Condors

Tractor

Haul Truck ADT Excavator Grader Train

Dump Truck Fuel Bowser Shovel Front End Loader

Water TankerService Truck PC Tire Handler

Low Bed TruckDozer

Cable Handler

Mobile Crane

DraglineTLB (JCB)

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Alarm Descriptions and Matrix

Type LED Sound

1 Green steady -

2 Red steady -

3 Red flashing -

4 Red flashing buzzer

Threat Type Description

FAR Vehicles within 100m

NEARVehicles within 40m

CP Close Proximityvehicles edges within 10m

DMDangerous MovementThis alarm has priority over all other

threat types

Alarm Types

Threat Descriptions Alarm Matrix

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Alarm Matrix

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Safemine Configuration

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Safemine GPS Functionality

•Safemine indicate to the operator the presence of other vehicles in his or her immediate vicinity.

•Safemine warn the operator of any vehicles parked within 10 meters of the haul trucks and larger vehicles (flashing red led in the direction of the close proximity vehicle).

•Safemine warns the operator when following too close to another vehicle and adapts the warning to the speed of the vehicles.

•Safemine calculates the speed and direction of the vehicle, and receives the same information from vehicles in the immediate area (+/- 500 meters) and predicts the path of the vehicles and alerts the operator to the possibility of a collision between vehicles.

•Safemine reduces nuisance alarming and only alarms when the vehicle is in motion and only the vehicle posing the threat will get the alarm.

•Safemine does not require the operator to acknowledge alarms, the alarm clears automatically when the threat has passed either by the operator slowing down or stopping or by changing direction.

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Power Indication Red

Power Indication Green

Ready Indication Red

Ready Indication Green

Reverse Indication Flashing Red or Red

Reverse Indication Green

Operational Status System Healthy

Fault return to workshop

Power OK

Finding Satellites wait 2 min till Green

GPS Satellite signal received

Machine does not know direction of travel (normally after powering up the system)

Machine travelling in reverse

Safemine Display Status

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Far Indication: Closer than 100 meters but more than 40 meters. Green led indication

Near Indication: Vehicle Closer than 40 meters Red led indication

Safemine Traffic Awareness Display Status

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Close Proximity Indication Vehicle Closer than 10 meters Red flashing led indication

Safemine Traffic Awareness Display Status

Red Flashing Indication Danger vehicle in close proximity

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Two Trucks

Approaching

Intersection

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Two Trucks Following each Other

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• Static rollover alarming

• Over Speed basic ( fwd & rev) and advanced (defined areas)

• Static Obstacle Detection such as berms, buildings or drop-offs • Track and Event Recording Option Records• CAN Bus Listener• Voice Output• SMS Gateway• Digital and Analog I/O modules• Test Station• Dragline optional unit

Safemine Additional Options

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GPS Test Station

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•The test station is situated at the brake test ramps for both light and heavy vehicles, they can also be situated at various positions along the haul roads

•The purpose of the test station is to physically test the operation of the Safemine GPS traffic awareness and collision warning system.

GPS Test Station

•When the vehicle approaches the test station the Safemine unit on the vehicle will transmit its position and approach speed to the test station. As the vehicle is approaching the Safemine unit will indicate on the display first in green and then in red the position of the test station (far and near indication)

•Once the vehicle is closer than 12 meters to the test station it will trigger the flashing strobe light on the test station. This indicates that the GPS reciever and radio transmitter is working correctly.

•At the same time the Safemine unit on the vehicle will give a collision warning alert and indicate on the display the position of the test station in relation to the vehicle. This has then proven that the GPS radio receiver and the Safemine unit is working correctly.

Test Procedure

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Brake Test Ramp GPS Test Station

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• SafeMine GPS Traffic Awareness and Collision Warning System is not a substitute for normal safe driving procedures.

• All current rules and procedures with regards to driving must still be obeyed

• A vehicle equipped with the Safemine System should be operated in the same safe manner as if the Safemine System were not installed.

• The Safemine System will provide no warning for some hazards, such as vehicles, obstacles, and other objects not equipped with properly operating Safemine devices.

• Safemine is intended as an additional tool in determining potential traffic threats, supporting an alert and conscientious driver.

Safemine GPS

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Thank you