[LINK] Free PR for Driverless Trucks

[Roger Clarke]

[The (pretty mindless) article below reproduces a media release about 
an application of autonomous ground-vehicles on a tightly-controlled 
campus.

[Apart from breathless reporting of large numbers, it says:
>Walsh said the trucks had "significantly enhanced" haul cycle times, 
>extended tyre life, reduced fuel usage and lowered maintenance costs.

[I'm having trouble working out whether these (claimed) outcomes are 
being claimed as a result of driverlessness, and, if so, how. 
Drivers stop for a fag when they should be driving?  Do wheelies? 
Use lower gears and higher revs than they should?  Bump into 
obstacles more often?

[I'm not opposed to the use of robots in circumstances in which they 
are demonstrably more effective and/or efficient than humans;  but I 
am opposed to media dumbly reporting what, in the absence of any 
solid evidence, looks very much like propaganda.]


Rio Tinto grows driverless truck fleet
Apr 16, 2014 7:01 AM (39 minutes ago)
itNews
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/382965,rio-tinto-grows-driverless-truck-fleet.aspx

Sets new record in tonnes moved.

Rio Tinto has grown its driverless truck fleet to 53 vehicles across 
four mine sites, setting a new milestone in its autonomous haulage 
capacity.

The miner's CEO Sam Walsh told its annual general meeting in London 
last night the fleet had "moved more than 150 million tonnes of 
material" - up from 100 million tonnes a year ago.

"To put this in perspective, this would amount to filling Wembley 
Stadium approximately 80 times," Walsh said.

The rapid shift in tonnes moved is yet another indicator of the level 
of Rio Tinto's investment in autonomous technology. It took over four 
years to achieve the first 100 million tonnes of material moved.

Rio Tinto eventually expects to run a fleet of 150 Komatsu driverless trucks.
Vehicles are so far operational at its West Angelas, Yandicoogina, 
Nammuldi and Hope Downs 4 iron ore sites. Each truck is capable of 
shifting around 290 tonnes per load.

Walsh said the trucks had "significantly enhanced" haul cycle times, 
extended tyre life, reduced fuel usage and lowered maintenance costs.

More broadly, he said Rio Tinto had run some "1500 individual 
initiatives that focused on driving productivity gains and reducing 
cost" over the past financial year.

"These types of incremental improvements have a direct impact on the 
bottom line, and help us power our operational performance," Walsh 
said. "While Š initiatives may not sound considerable in isolation, 
together they all make a substantial difference."

Rio Tinto delivered its first quarter production update prior to the 
London meeting, reporting "record" iron ore production, shipments and 
rail volumes, despite site closures for a tropical cyclone.

However, the result fell short of analyst expectations.

-- 
Roger Clarke                                 http://www.rogerclarke.com/
			            
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 6288 6916                        http://about.me/roger.clarke
mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au                http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law            University of N.S.W.
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University