Traditional mining has long faced problems such as high operating costs, driver 
shortages, harsh environments, and frequent accidents. Governments and industry 
alike are looking for solutions to these problems. The Chinese government, for 
example, has long been a big proponent of the intelligent transformation of the 
mining industry. The adoption of autonomous mining trucks improves both safety 
and operating efficiency. 

"Mines are relatively safe spaces to deploy autonomous driving technology 
because they are located in places with few people and limited external 
interference. Such an enclosed environment is ideal for the early deployment of 
autonomous driving technology," said Long Chen, CEO and co-founder of Waytous, 
the leading unmanned mining solution provider in China.

For one, large mining equipment has many blind spots, similar to big 
tractor-trailers, long-haul trucks or large forklifts. With long hours of 
operation, the risk of fatigue while driving equipment is quite high. By fully 
or semi-automating mining equipment with lidar technology that can 3-D map the 
environment and detect objects in and around the path, these operating 
challenges can be greatly reduced. 

Even more challenging is the harsh mining environment which can include bumpy 
roads, rain, snow, dust, extreme cold and other weather conditions. These all 
pose huge challenges to autonomous mining trucks and their components. Extreme 
cold weather, for example, can shorten the lifetime of select components 
creating additional costs and safety risks to the whole mining project. 

That is why Waytous selected Ouster's lidar sensors for its fleet of autonomous 
mining vehicles. Its self-developed "YUGONG" system has been deployed in 
multiple high-production open-pit mines.

The world's first large-scale autonomous mining truck project in extreme cold 
environments

In May 2020, Waytous officially launched the world's first large-scale 
autonomous mining truck project in an extremely cold environment: the Baorixile 
open-pit mine located in the Inner Mongolia Region of China. This is also the 
first project built with a 5G network and up to five autonomous mining trucks 
operating simultaneously. It is a testament to the reliability and stability of 
the entire autonomous driving system, especially its ability to withstand cold 
weather.

Ouster's OS0 and OS1 lidar sensors have a cold start function and can operate 
in an environment of -40 degrees Celsius, which meets the automotive 
specifications for cold weather performance. Moreover, Ouster's digital lidar 
passes strict shock and vibration tests before leaving the factory so that it 
is capable of operating and providing accurate lidar data in bumpy, unpaved 
environments.

Based on its unique optical design, Ouster's digital lidar is less affected by 
rain, snow and dust which may obscure the lidar window. All Ouster lidars are 
designed to IP68/69K standards, reliably performing across unpredictable 
weather conditions and extended outdoor use. Furthermore, as a result of 
significant performance improvements over the past year, Ouster implemented a 
standard 2-year warranty in February 2021.

"Ouster's digital lidar provides high reliability and can operate in extreme 
cold environments, which are two of the most important factors for autonomous 
mining trucks. That's why Ouster became our first choice. The adoption of 
autonomous mining trucks will continue to accelerate, and Ouster is ready to 
scale with us," said Waytous' Long Chen.

SOURCE: Ouster

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