Frequently Asked Question
At LoopX, we specialize in developing AI-powered autonomous technologies to enhance safety and efficiency in the mining industry. Our product offerings, built on this core technology, include:
Our AI-Powered Operation Awareness System (OAS) and Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) provide real-time awareness of your mining equipment’s surroundings and take proactive measures to avoid potential collisions. It detects and warns of potential collisions, enhancing safety for both equipment and personnel.
Our AI-Powered Autonomous Driving System (ADS) automates the operation of mining equipment, reducing the need for human operation in a harsh environment. It achieves SAE Level 4 capability, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and safety.
First, unlike many existing CAS solutions that rely on tags like RFID or UWB, which may not always be present or functional on all objects such as pedestrians and vehicles, our solution doesn’t depend on external tags. This makes your vehicle smarter and capable of effectively detecting and avoiding all objects, even those without functional tags.
Secondly, one common problem with existing solutions is false alerts that can desensitize equipment operators. Our solution uses advanced sensors and AI to differentiate between various scenarios. This intelligence enables our system to reduce false alerts significantly. It can distinguish between actual collision risks and harmless situations, ensuring that alerts are only triggered when genuinely necessary.
Furthermore, conventional tag-based solutions are unable to detect collisions between vehicles and infrastructure, such as tunnel walls. In contrast, our solution can detect collisions between vehicle to vehicle (V2V), vehicle to pedestrians (V2P), and even vehicle to infrastructure (V2I). This added functionality reduces the potential damage to both equipment and infrastructure.
Our solution is designed to work seamlessly with a variety of equipment, making it compatible with different OEMs and vehicle types. We understand that mining operations often involve a mix of machinery, and the interoperability of our solution ensures a smooth integration tailored to your mine’s specific needs.
One of our key differentiators is the integration of our patented AI algorithms with our mining dataset. Many existing autonomous systems lack AI, limiting their adaptability and efficiency. Our AI-driven approach enables our product with continously evolving capabilities.
In addition, our experience on ancillary machinery, such as light utility vehicles, addresses a unique niche in the market. These machines come with distinct operational challenges, and our specialized autonomy solutions are tailored to maximize their performance.
Our autonomy sensor stack includes customizable sensor nodes tailored to the equipment type. Our sensor node comprises:
IR Camera: We employ an infrared (IR) camera to detect objects or issues that might be invisible to regular cameras, significantly improving safety, especially in challenging underground conditions.
Solid-State LiDAR with IMU: Our sensor node incorporates a solid-state LiDAR with an integrated Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). This lidar technology generates a real-time 3D map of the surroundings, while the IMU enhances motion tracking, ensuring precise vehicle positioning and navigation.
This combination of the IR camera and LiDAR offers a robust solution, utilizing computer vision for object recognition and LiDAR for accurate ranging and mapping. Our sensor stack guarantees that our autonomy system can adeptly navigate intricate underground environments, ultimately enhancing safety and efficiency.
AI plays a crucial role in our system. For instance, we leverage deep learning in our perception module. This AI technology enables us to identify a wide range of obstacles, including pedestrians, loaders, dump trucks, personal couriers, and critical fixed facilities like charging stations. We continuously gather data to train and improve the model, making it increasingly intelligent and reliable over time.
Our system navigates underground without GPS by relying on sensors like LiDAR and IMU to scan the environment. It builds a reference map of the underground area, identifying distinct features. Using these features and the reference map, the system accurately determines its location. It can adjust to environmental changes with dynamic map updates, avoid obstacles, and plan its path in real-time.