Underground Traffic Management System (UTMS) is an innovative system for controlling truck traffic on harsh environments, such as mines where communications can become difficult.

Inside the mines, haul trucks cross several kilometers on a one-way road, from surface to the mining area, to transport ore/waste. It is not always confirmed whether this one-way road is clear since communication might not be possible due to radio signal disruptions.

With UTMS all trucks are wireless connected so that each truck driver can declare his route, either the truck goes up, down or on another level. With real time data transfer and with 99.999% data reliability, the system identifies the traffic in a particular area and gives the appropriate message to other truck drivers that might need to follow/cross the same path. The message is displayed on the device’s screen which is installed in all underground equipment; whether they should wait and for how long or if the road is clear they can proceed.

The proposed system utilizes innovative wireless network technologies, databases, UI design, integration and application development with impressive management results, at low costs for project sizes.

It creates multiple benefits for the project, such as increasing ore production, reducing hours of non-productive time, better planning of all needs and real-time monitoring of indicators according to the needs of the mine.

Benefits:

• Underground truck traffic management
• “Plug n play” flexibility – mines are a dynamic environment. Install devices according to the mine excavations and needs
• Wireless – Easy Installation
• Almost 100% data reliability
• Low power consumption – 5+ years battery life

Moreover, the System Operator can acquire crucial data:

• Dashboard view
• Real time truck tracking
• Check truck status anytime. See which truck is loading, unloading, moving, etc.
• Analytics: see the average time between loading and unloading per truck, how much ore is transferred per hour, calculate hauling and mucking productivity
• More detailed and reliable mine planning
• Receive alerts from truck drivers