Robot control of a 3,500 tonne mining machine

The mining industry is highly suitable for the application of robotics and automation technology since the work is arduous, dangerous and often repetitive. This paper describes the development of an automation system for a physically large and complex field robotic system - a 3,500 tonne mining machine (a dragline). The major components of the system are discussed with a particular emphasis on the machine/operator interface. A very important aspect of this system is that it must work cooperatively with a human operator, seamlessly passing the control back and forth in order to achieve the main aim - increased productivity.