Abstract: Autonomous operations are conducted within a defined geographical region. In an autonomous system of a management party a plurality of localised zones are established having operation-defined geographical boundaries within the geographical region. Entities having autonomous operating systems to perform specific autonomous operations within respective ones of the localised zones. The autonomous system of the management party is integrated with the autonomous operating systems of the entities.

Abstract: A method is described of regulating movement of an autonomous entity between a first zone (904) and a second zone (901), wherein the first and second zones each have an operation-defined geographical boundary within a defined geographical region. The autonomous entity is instructed to move into a transition zone (906, 907) that spans the first zone and the second zone, wherein the autonomous entity while located in the first zone is responsive to supervisory control of a first controller (912) associated with the first zone. The autonomous entity is registered with a second controller (910) associated with the second zone to enable the autonomous entity to respond to supervisory control of the second controller as the autonomous entity enters the second zone through the transition zone. The autonomous entity is de-registered from the first controller.

Abstract: A hierarchical control system (203) for supervising operations of an autonomous operator located within a defined geographical region containing a localised zone having an operation-defined boundary. The control system (203) has a primary controller (604) associated with the defined geographical region and a secondary controller (605) associated with the localised zone. The secondary controller (605) is responsive to the supervisory control of the primary controller (604). The autonomous operator, if located within the localised zone, is responsive to the supervisory control of the secondary controller (605).

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for effecting autonomous operations within a defined geographical region (1110). A plurality of localised zones (1102, 1104, 1106, 1108) having operation-defined geographical boundaries are specified within the region. A plurality of control modules are established associated with respective ones of the localised zones and autonomous operations are effected under the supervisory control of the control module associated with the localised zone in which the autonomous operation occurs. The geographical disposition of the boundary of at least one of the localised zones is varied within the defined geographical region.

Abstract: A planning system (201) for scheduling the operation of autonomous entities within a defined geographical region. The planning system operates at a region plan level (301) for strategic planning across the geographical region, at an operation plan level (302) for operations to be performed by autonomous entities in localised zones having operation-defined geographical boundaries, and at a task plan level (303) in which processing is undertaken in respect of specific tasks to be performed by the autonomous entities, in undertaking the operations.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for generating a data representation of a geographical region as an adjunct to conducting autonomous operations within the region. The method comprises receiving information specifying a plurality of localised caused zones having operation-defined geographical boundaries within the region; receiving heterogeneous data descriptive of the region; associating the received data with respective localised zones; fusing the received data associated with the localised zones into data representations of the localised zones; and integrating the data representations of the localised zones into a common data representation of the geographical region.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and system for vehicle localization in an open pit mining environment having intermittent or incomplete GPS coverage. The system comprises GPS receivers associated with the vehicles and providing GPS measurements when available, as well as one or more cameras 50,55 overlooking the mine region 10. The cameras 50,55 are at a known location and are used for generating a sequence of images in a field of view with predetermined calibration in a fixed coordinate system. The system further comprises a vehicle recognition processor 120 for analysing individual images from the camera to identify and locate within an image a vehicle in the mine region, as well as a vehicle tracking processor 130 for analysing a sequence of images from the camera to track the identified vehicle location in the sequence of images.

Abstract: A method for modelling a dataset includes a training phase, wherein the dataset is applied to a non-stationary Gaussian process kernel in order to optimize the values of a set of hyperparameters associated with the Gaussian process kernel, and an evaluation phase in which the dataset and Gaussian process kernel with optimized hyperparameters are used to generate model data. The evaluation phase includes a nearest neighbour selection step. The method may include generating a model at a selected resolution.

Abstract: A system and method are described for generating a model of an environment in which a plurality of equipment units (104) are deployed for the extraction of at least one resource from the environment. The system comprises a pre-extraction or in-ground modelling unit (204) configured to receive data from a first plurality of heterogeneous sensors in the environment and to fuse the data into a pre-extraction model descriptive of the environment and the at least one resource. An equipment modelling unit (208) is configured to receive equipment data relating to the plurality of equipment units operating in the environment and to combine the equipment data into an equipment model. A post-extraction or out-of-ground modelling unit (206) is configured to receive data from a second plurality of sensors and to fuse the data into a post-extraction model descriptive of material extracted from the environment, wherein at least one of the equipment units operates to extract the at least one resource from the environment.

Abstract: A crane arranged through its reeving system to manoeuver a load. The crane includes an upper support structure, a lower support structure arranged to carry a load and six reeving cables suspending the lower support structure from the upper support structure. Means are provided for changing the effective length between the upper and lower support structure of selective ones of the reeving cables. The reeving cables are arranged such that they are connected geometrically to the upper and lower support structures at apexes of an upper and a lower quadrilateral plane figure, respectively. The reeving cables are arranged such that the cables of a first pair of the reeving cables converge in a downward direction, the cables of a second pair of the reeving cables converge in an upward direction, and the cables of the third pair of reeving cables extend between opposite ends of the first and second pair reeving cables at the upper and lower support structures.

Abstract: A navigation system for a mobile autonomous robot that includes apparatus for creating and maintaining a map of an environment the mobile autonomous robot is to traverse including provision for storing in a map at an assigned location features representative of geometric beacons located in the environment. Because of the uncertainty in its sensor's operating conditions and changes in the environment, a credibility measure is associated with each map feature stored. This credibility measure is increased or decreased whenever the map feature assigned to a location matches or does not match, respectively, a geometric beacon corresponding to such location. Whenever a geometric beacon is observed for a location that does into match a previously stored map features, an appropriate map feature is added for such location.