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The OTR industry is in the midst of evolution thanks to the latest innovations in the fields of technology, automation and robotics. And new horizons are emerging for the near future.
How can new tech change mining? Can it improve efficiency? Can automation make it safer? What’s the future for robotics?
From the adoption of new ways of mineral extraction, to the development of new drones and technologies as a valid alternative to the human resource, our experts Frik Els, Andrew Petruska, and Chris Rhoades will lead us to a journey on future revolutions and technological developments in the world of OTR.
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Frik Els -
Andrew Petruska -
Chris Rhoades
- Based on average size of currently operating mines, we can calculate that more than 300 new mines need to be built over the next decade to meet the demand for electric vehicles and energy storage to meet the world's climate goals, in particular 97 natural graphite mines, 74 lithium mines, 72 nickel mines and 62 cobalt mines.
- Robots can go anywhere from the deep sea, to underground, to orbit, to other planets.
- The first robotic arms were developed in the 40s and 50s to handle hazardous materials. Now robotic arms do everything from making cars, to packing boxes, to assisting with neurosurgeries.
In this series
Frik Els is the executive editor of MINING.COM, the world’s premier source of news and opinion on mining and metals with a weekly readership of more than 200,000 industry professionals across the world.
Frik has focused his writing and public engagements on the green energy transition and the raw materials needed to meet climate goals and combat global warming. He created the EV Metal Index providing insights into the greatest disruption to the auto and extractive industries in a century.
Dr. Andrew Jacob Petruska is currently a tenured Professor of Mechanical Engineering and the Director of the Robotics Interdisciplinary Graduate Program at the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, that he joined in 2016.
Awarded an NSF IGERT Traineeship during his PHD to study noncontact magnetic manipulation, he developed the first real-time reconfigurable magnetic manipulation system.
His current research focus has pivoted to perception, state estimation, and control in GPS denied environments for applications ranging from underground mining, search for rescue, and on-orbit manufacturing, to lunar construction, navigation and mining.
With a family tradition in the OTR sector that goes back to 155 years ago, Chris Rhoades started his career by working on tire tracking programs.
He then joined BKT in 1999 as Senior Product Manager, Technical Solutions, and used his expertise to develop a new technology: SPOTech. It is a cutting-edge monitoring system that collects data on haul truck activities by means of GPS systems, GoPro cameras and accelerometers for improving productivity, efficiency, and operating conditions within mining sites or quarries.
With 24 years’ experience in BKT, he is now BKT Tires' US Vice-President for OTR. He's passionate about partnering with customers and dealers to leverage solutions to reduce their total cost of ownership.
