Autonomous Trucks To Operate In A Stone Quarry In Norway

Autonomous trucks to operate in a stone quarry in Norway

Steer AS has recently landed their first large contract with a Norwegian partner. On behalf of the entrepreneur Romarheim AS, Steer is developing their technology to use in a fleet of autonomous dump trucks transporting stones in a stone quarry on the west coast of Norway.

“This is a milestone for Steer. With this contract, we are taking a giant step from our first contract in 2009 which involved clearing a large artillery range in the Norwegian mountains,” said Pål Ligård CEO at Steer AS.

The project with Romarheim AS is innovative on several levels. Previously, Steer’s remote-controlled construction equipment had primarily been utilized in projects where health and safety issues has been the main concern, such as clearing artillery ranges, or where the geographical conditions were challenging and dangerous. With regards to the Romarheim project, the main focus has now changed to utilize the technology for a more efficient and cost-effective autonomous operation.

The contract involves work in a stone quarry by Osterfjord, which is North of Bergen in Norway. The plan is to load up autonomous trucks with stones, and these trucks will then follow a set route out of the quarry and dump the stones into a shaft leading down to a crushing plant. From there, the stones will then be transported by boat to both domestic and international markets.

Another key strategy is that the driver of the wheel loader that is loading stones onto the fleet of trucks, will also be able to oversee and direct the trucks using an iPad from his seat in the cabin.