Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1515056
I DA U N I V E R S A L J a n u a r y - Fe b r u a r y 2 0 2 4 19 By now most everyone has seen publicity about autono- mous machinery working at mines around the world, but remote-control technology on a smaller scale can have a home much closer to home—it is available for many applications and can even help managers with employment issues. e portability of line-of-sight solutions even allows opera- tors to keep remote- control handsets with them in the cab, enabling them to exit the machine and operate it from afar when it approaches a hazardous area. " ey're usually performing something that's pretty quick, so they'll have the console with them in the cab, they jump out of the machine, perform that dangerous work using that line-of-sight remote, and then get back in their cab and run the machine manually," says Allan Plumkin, autonomy & automa- tion specialist for Caterpillar. "It's a fl ip of the switch. It's very intuitive and very easy to keep that operator safe during that dangerous application," Plumkin says. "We are the only manufacturer off ering line- of-sight and non-line-of-sight solutions." Line-of-sight systems e Cat Command Console is the line-of-sight (LOS) solution for an operator to control a single machine. An operator can run a crawler dozer, wheel loader, excavator, or compactor from up to 1,300 feet away. Operators can watch the machine and any attachments with their own eyes. "It's an over-the-shoulder console… all the features available in that machine are avail- able on the remote- control console," Plumkin says. at includes items like grade control and E-fencing. Not only does LOS remote control keep operators away from site hazards such as crumbling walls and collapsing roofs, but it also helps keep them out of dust clouds and away from potentially hazardous building materials and debris. Also, because it's lightweight and portable, the over-the-shoulder console lets operators position themselves upwind. Cat says its Command console provides a relatively aff ordable way to get started in the world of remote control without the need for a site commu- nications infra- structure. Non-line of sight systems NLOS systems (Cat calls theirs Cat Command Station) let the operator work from miles away in a "virtual cab" environment. e simulated cab includes a range of video feeds, a comfortable seat, and full complement of realistic-feeling hand and foot controls. "We're using high-defi nition cameras, mounted on machines, to bring back that feed to an operator that is seated with the machine controls," Plumkin The Case for Remote Control How to keep operators out of danger and mitigate certain workforce issues. Autonomous haul trucks are already employed in mines, but now smaller equipment is starting to go operator-less through remote -control technology. An operator uses a Cat Command console to operate an excavator. is portable line-of-sight technology can be carried in the cab to switch from manual to remote- control operation any time the operator decides to exit the cab and step away from a hazardous situation. Story continued on page 20 TRENDS AND TIDBITS