Komatsu South Africa has announced that it is the first surface Trackless Mobile Machinery (TMM) OEM to achieve Technology Readiness Level 4 (TRL4) certification after testing by the University of Pretoria (UP) at the Gerotek Test Facilities in West Pretoria and at a mining customer site.
The University of Pretoria conducts independent TRL4 verification testing for Collision Prevention Systems (CPS) and Collision Warning Devices (CxD) initially in controlled laboratory testing then with light vehicles at the proving ground in Gerotek, and finally in a cordoned off controlled area of a customer minesite. These tests are conducted under the Minerals Council South Africa Mine Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) framework.
The TRL4 certification confirms that Komatsu machinery can reliably and automatically inhibit propulsion or apply brakes when an imminent collision hazard is detected, meeting ISO 21815 standards. Komatsu says this achievement marks a major advancement in collision prevention technology and provides mining operations with a proven, factory-integrated pathway to Level 9 collision prevention.
It adds: “As the mining industry continues its journey toward safer, smarter, and more autonomous operations, Komatsu remains committed to delivering innovative solutions that help protect people, improve operational performance, and shape the future of mining.”
It follows similar announcements in recent months – including Hexagon Mining announcing in March that the latest generation of its Vehicle Intervention System (VIS) was the first open-pit Level 9 solution to successfully pass the MOSH CPS TRL4 test specification after UP testing. In July, Mine Safe Global said it was the first company in the world to achieve MOSH TRL4 verification by UP for both collision detection and machine intervention within a single integrated collision prevention product range.
South Africa remains the hub of collision avoidance tech progress as its Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) brought into law the Chapter 8 clauses of the Mine Health and Safety Act Regulations in December 2022 relating to Level 9 vehicle intervention for collision avoidance in trackless mobile machinery, both surface and underground.
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