MST GLOBAL
64 our latest smart infrastructure or smart network platform ,” says Roberts . “ We realised that our older platform , Impact , wasn ’ t as easy to upgrade when new technologies came along . With AXON , we knew we had to take a different view on that . We designed it so that it could be in a mine for 10 , 15 , or 20 years , but have the ability to be upgradeable as different technologies come along .” With an eye on upgrades comes an openness to integrating emerging technologies into the platform . “ We work with Microsoft quite closely and we designed AXON to use elements of Microsoft Azure . Within Azure there ’ s things like voice and video recognition . For instance , we plan to pick up certain phrases that the Azure module will allow us then to act on and turn on a fan or send a request for a piece of equipment to go down to a certain end .”
Automation has a part to play across the full spectrum of technologies deployed in mines . “ Automated vehicles need real-time communications , so they need a platform like AXON that can connect high bandwidth wirelessly to those vehicles ,” says Roberts . “ They
also need the ability to be tracked , just like people . Using wearables you can track where people are in a mine , and then , for instance , if they go into a certain area , secondary fans will turn on to make sure that those areas are ventilated . The automation of fixed assets underground is something that excites us – it ’ s a more sustainable and safer way of mining .”
Considering his experience in the mining industry , Roberts views the community as a family , a stance MST extends to the work it does with
FEBRUARY 2020