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UFR Autonomy
UFR Autonomy is the robotic automation solution that is delivering accelerated time to market, decreased risk of failure, and decreased overall cost. We specialise in robust automation, proven robotics technology platforms, and collaborating for customer success.
UFR robotics engineers can help set you up with UFR Autonomy, so that you can focus on solving your unique problems, delivering for your customers and keeping your employees safe.
If you have an idea that needs to be implemented or a burning business platform under you, we can have you up and running with UFR Autonomy in a matter of weeks.
UFR HAULAGE
We have developed an autonomous solution for underground haulage for international mining company Gold Fields. Using our automation solution, UFRautonomy™, UFR has been able to turn Gold Fields’ existing Epiroc MT65 underground haul trucks into fully autonomous vehicles. The UFRhaulage solution is currently being trialled at Gold Field’s Granny Smith gold mine in Western Australia. Once validated, automated trucks will be used for additional material haulage during the shift change when the mine is normally evacuated for blasting activities.
This collaborative project enables Gold Fields to run two extra haulage cycles per day, per truck, without the need for any operators. The project also paves the way for Gold Fields to transition to fully autonomous haulage and zero-entry mining in the future, which will enable significant safety and productivity benefits to the mine’s operations.
UFR AutoLog
UFR’s E20C is our 2-ton robotic platform that operates UFR Autonomy and can be equipped with special attachments to perform a variety of tasks. Our collaboration with IMDEX Limited delivered BLAST DOG™, an autonomous system to optimise blasting based on high-resolution three-dimensional material models built from sensor data.
To perform the sensing, the machine drives to the blast holes, uses robotic vision to verify the blast hole location and then winches a wireline sensor down the blast hole to collect data. The sensor data is used by drill and blast engineers to lower the cost of blasting, while improving safety and productivity and reducing risk.
UFR HolePrep
Underground mining blasthole cleaning and surveying is a serious safety issue for miners, requiring overhead work with the risk of dislodging material that can fall on operators.
It is dirty and noisy work that is best done by robotic machines.
Universal Field Robots is working with mining and resources industry partners to develop this new technology. UFR HolePrep will make underground blasthole cleaning and surveying work safer and boost efficiency and sustainability measures.
UFR INSPECT
Looking to automate infrastructure inspection to ensure early detection of faults that could potentially lead to operations disruptions? Inspection tasks are often performed manually by crews, which takes up shifts across already resource-constrained teams.
Enter UFR and our robot library, which includes an ATV platform pre-equipped with our UFRautonomy package. We selected an ATV as it can travel long distances and has adequate payload capacity for the required additional sensors. We also leveraged autonomous driving development done with the underground haul truck, further accelerating the project. We are excited to use new technology, including Starlink Mobility, which provides comms well outside typical cellular networks.
UFR Inspect is on-site testing at BHP Prominent Hill to push the limits of what can be achieved with early detection of infrastructure damage.
UFR Deliver
Our robots can handle delivery of materials and components for the construction and resources sectors. UFR Deliver uses appropriately sized vehicle platforms, such as ATVs or trucks equipped with UFR Autonomy and directed with our dispatch and scheduling system.
Deliveries can be requested by selecting a loading and unloading point and a priority and the system will dispatch the next available vehicle to carry out the delivery mission. Productivity is raised and safety is enhanced by eliminating the need for humans to be driving over poor and variable off road conditions. The system approach allows safe speeds to be prescribed.
UFR Loader
A mining customer asked the UFR team in Brisbane to take a bobcat loader that they had and set it up for remote control and autonomous operation.
The loader enables critical tasks to be completed that were previously not possible due to the danger the tasks posed to people. The system needed to operate in an underground mine environment and be controlled from the surface control room. It also had to integrate in an open autonomy way with the existing control system.
We came up with a concept design in a time frame of 4 months and with a go ahead, set off to do the design and build. UFR Loader is now with our customer for testing.
UFR ARMHS
In collaboration with ECLIPS Logistics, Universal Field Robots has developed a Protected Mobile Fires (PMF) 155mm Ammunition Resupply Vehicle (ARV) ARMHS.
The 155mm ARV ARMHS will automatically load and unload 155mm projectiles and propellant systems into the future 155mm ARV capability via the onboard cargo handling system, reducing the need for soldiers to load and unload ammunition manually.
By removing soldiers from manual loading, ARMHS will allow soldiers to be placed on higher priority tasks and reduce musculoskeletal injuries. ARMHS will also reduce projectile wastage by reducing the likelihood of it being dropped or damaged.
UFR AutoFuel
UFR AutoFuel uses our E20C robotic base, along with UFR Autonomy and a specially developed attachment for truck refuelling of automated vehicles. The value is created with unattended operation, directly in the haul circuit and next to the haul road, and a target of 5 minutes refuelling time to free up additional truck availability resulting in more haulage per day.
The base technology is familiar to mine maintenance personnel and UFR AutoFuel is the first product in a series of mining applications to make big improvements to the safety of common tasks, including haul truck wheel change and excavator GET change.
UFR AutoPile
UFR AutoPile involves a UFR E35C robot paired with a Vermeer PD10 excavator piling machine running UFR Autonomy and working together to autonomously set out, handle and install steel piling for solar farm construction.
This solution eliminates setting out, transport and manual handling, and separates people from hazardous noise.
UFR AutoPile is making solar power more affordable, while reducing construction hazards, and addressing labour shortages.