How autonomous vehicles are changing oilsands mining

Oilsands mining companies in the Fort McMurray region are investing in autonomous vehicles and technology, changing the way operations run.

Seth Patterson, business manager for technology and automation products at Epiroc’s Sudbury location, said the growth of autonomous vehicles in mining and oilsands over the last decade has been exponential.

Patterson predicts autonomous vehicles will start a push for skilled tradespeople who can service, maintain and install autonomous systems.

For example, the company introduced an updated version of “Mud Mode” which helps autonomous vehicles respond in extreme weather.

Quamrul Huda, a researcher in industrial automation at NAIT, said autonomous vehicles have been incredibly beneficial for oilsands mining in terms of productivity, safety and efficiency.