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 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 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.