Global leader in connected intelligent transport system technology, Cohda Wireless, is applying its vehicle positioning solution to the Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia to drive safety and productivity in an initiative that could pave the way for a new industry standard.

Cohda Wireless is headquartered in Australia and has offices in Europe, the US, and China. Its V2X (Vehicle-To-Everything) technology connects vehicles with each other and with roadside infrastructure to create a cooperative and intelligent transport environment.  Now, its unique V2X-Locate technology is being deployed at Rio Tinto-managed copper and gold mine in Mongolia to provide unheralded vehicle and personnel location accuracy. 

This solution was initially developed to solve the vehicle positioning accuracy challenges inherent in the urban canyons of cities where large buildings, underground carparks, and tunnels interfere with GNSS signals. Using DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) signals, Cohda’s enhanced signal processing and positioning algorithms provide highly accurate vehicle position irrespective of GNSS availability and/or quality and is therefore suited to mining environments.

As Russell Kennett, Manager Underground Technology at Oyu Tolgoi explains, Cohda’s technology has now been adapted to serve a mining environment for the first time. 

“Cohda’s V2X-Locate allows all equipped mobile fleet, fixed plant, and personnel to be reliably tracked in real-time to sub-meter accuracy in a GNSS-denied environment, to prevent incidents and assist in emergency evacuations, and to enable traffic management and schedule optimization,” explained Mr.  Kennett.    

Cohda Wireless CEO Dr. Paul Gray said that the widespread adoption of connected, intelligent transport solutions in the mining sector will greatly reduce the risk of injury or death and will also drive productivity gains.

“The system can integrate and manage location data from multiple sensor types with sub-meter accuracy throughout the mine site and is a significant improvement on using a combination of disparate collision avoidance systems across the mining environment, as is usually the case, explained Dr. Gray. 

“When you have hundreds of vehicles and personnel operating in close proximity underground, a meter matters! And whilst the prevention of injury and death is always the top priority, we also know that the ability to visualize, optimize and monitor vehicles brings significant operational benefits and efficiencies,” added Dr. Gray.

A Cohda V2X-Locate system is in place and ready to go live at Oyu Tolgoi. Over 200 mining vehicles of all types are being fitted with Cohda’s XBU-V specially adapted On-Board units which connect vehicles to each other and to XBU-I Road-Side Units that are installed in mine tunnels. Over 2000 Personnel will use V2X-Locate compatible cap lamps so that the collective system can use Time-of-Flight analysis of wireless signals to resolve spatial locations.   Mining vehicles are fitted with a human-machine interface that will notify operators to warn them of potential collisions by enabling superior awareness and reaction.  The system supports EMESRT Level 7 (Alert) and partial Level 8 (Advise) controls with Full Level 8 controls and Level 9 (Intervention) controls on the Cohda product roadmap.

Russell Kennett also believes that this deployment could be instrumental in adopting an industry peer-to-peer comms and location standard. 

“This project allows us to benefit from a highly tested, future-proofed, automotive-level safety technology that has proven reliability, scalability, and robustness,” explained Mr. Kennett.   

“This potentially opens the door for the introduction of mine-wide peer-to-peer V2X networks that OEMs and vendors can integrate into their products to ensure interoperability regardless of the setting,” added Mr.  Kennett. 

Mines worldwide inevitably deploy a variety of independent OEM vehicles, many of which have their own communication and collision avoidance systems that don’t speak to each other.  The application of Cohda’s technology at Oyu Tolgoi may pave the way for an industry-wide solution.

ENDS

ABOUT COHDA WIRELESS

Cohda Wireless is a global leader in the development of Connected Vehicles and Connected Autonomous Vehicle software with proven applications for Smart City, Mining, and other environments. Cohda’s technology connects vehicles with infrastructure and pedestrians to make our streets, cities, and working environments safer, smarter, and greener.  Cohda is headquartered in Australia and has offices in Europe, China, and the USA.  

Cohda Wireless’s innovative software solutions enable autonomous vehicles to connect with other vehicles and with Smart City infrastructure. These connections span Vehicle¬to¬Vehicle, Vehicle¬to¬Infrastructure, and Vehicle¬to-Pedestrian (collectively called V2X), and allow CAVs to ‘talk’ to each other, Smart Cities, and vulnerable road users in order to avoid accidents, reduce congestion and be more efficient. Cohda partners with Tier 1 Automotive Suppliers, ITS Equipment Vendors, and Mining Equipment Technology and Services (METS) vendors to provide complete hardware/software solutions to Car Makers, Smart Cities, and Mine Operators, respectively. Cohda’s products are used widely in locations including the USA, Europe, Australia, Japan, Africa, Middle East, China, Singapore, and Korea.

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Grant Law

Grant Law Public Relations

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