November 11, 2022 - Torsa have unveiled their next gen Collision Avoidance System for Shovels, Haul Trucks, Auxiliary and Light Vehicles that optimizes loading operation, allowing two trucks at the same time, and mining front front detection.

There have been many changes in Torsa since they installed the first version of CAS in a world class mine like Antamina. The technological success was recognized and awarded by the Peruvian Ministry of Mines. And the changes have not only been in the approach to technology but in the people involved. Gabino de Diego is the new director of business development, an electronic engineer who comes from the automotive world and has been in leading companies like Jaguar or Aston Martin. In Gabino's words, the evolution of technology can be summed up in that “for our first generation, our design team evaluated all the detection technologies available in the market. With the focus on reliability and operators’ safety, LiDAR became the technology of choice. Actually, Torsa were the first one in the market with a LiDAR based CAS. Now, in our 4th generation, a new 3D LiDAR is able to scan more than 900k points per second, for an extremely accurate map of vehicle’s surroundings. In addition to LiDAR, Torsa CAS system is equipped with cutting edge detection technologies to provide maximum accuracy: ToF, UWB and high precision GPS. The combination of all those technologies allows our system to detect vehicles and other equipment with centimetric precision.”

Torsa iAntenna 

Trusted System

Deep confidence of the mining sector is something that Torsa have been able to earn day by day in the last ten years. “We started the development of our CAS system nine years ago. Our engineers have spent countless of hours in mines around the world to develop the system with and for the final users. This work has allowed us to make our system simple, but, at the same time, tailored to the exact needs of the operators that will use it. The constant feedback gathered by our design team helped us understand the needs of the sector and incorporate them into our system.

Torsa Interface

Thanks to the mentioned feedback we have developed a user interface that has been hard to engineer, but easy to use. Working with the final user has allowed us to provide only the information that is required for them both for the people running the vehicles and equipment and for the ones in the control rooms, reducing the information noise and providing a minimal invasive system. For example, in our 4th generation CAS system, we have incorporated a predictive algorithm to avoid false positives because we know that this is key for someone who is driving many ours every single day” says Gabino who also emphasizes the trust that the largest mining companies in the world have placed in Torsa CAS system, which in his opinion lays the solid foundations for the expected world trade expansion for this year: “Our awarded CAS system have been in non-stop service for millions of hours to date in various mines. This solid work and the awards talk about the quality of our system. Our plans will be to continue expanding globally and bringing our technology to mines in US, Canada, Africa and Australia from 2022.”

 Torsa LidaR3D

Business Intelligence Platform

Like all TORSA solutions, the collision avoidance system for Shovels trucks and light vehicles is integrated into the TORSA Cloud environment, thus ensuring the correct interaction, operation and technical information management for all our clients. According to Gabino's words, in this part is one of the most significant evolutions of the system, the user experience. “User interfaces have also been designed with the help of the people running the equipment, which makes both the web platform and the display in the cabin the most intuitive systems in the market. Graphics on the cabin displays have been specially adapted to the operator´s requirements in order to provide clear and intuitive information. The cloud-based platform provides real time data, and information that can be used to target specific issues in the mine, running campaings to optimize the operation. Thanks to the business intelligence modules included in the platform, users are able, for example, to play back incidents and vehicle interacctions for detailed analysis, or rank the operators based on multiple parameters to study and optimize behavioural KPIs.”  

Torsa Real Double Loading Mining Operation

World Class Requirements

TORSA collaborates actively with the International Council on Mining & Metals (ICMM) where the company is involved in the Innovation for Cleaner Safer Vehicles (ICSV) program, which brings together 27 of the world’s leading mining companies and technologies suppliers to collaborate in a non-competitive space in order to accelerate the development of a new generation of mining vehicles. “Our system is designed to perform at Control Levels 7, 8 and 9 according to the safety requirements based on the ICSV program by ICMM following the EMESRT (The Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table) where TORSA also participates defining the new ISO 21815” concluded Gabino.

About Torsa:

TORSA is a Spanish R&D company specialized in designing and manufacturing high technological solutions. TORSA develops both its own products and on demand in collaboration with clients.

From its various branches and its headquarters in the Technology Park of Andalusia, the largest technology hub in southern Europe, TORSA supports the company’s commercial and technical operations for the development of its range of solutions aimed at meeting needs and solving common problems in the various industries where its activity is focused.