Automated Positioning Systems (APS), developer of machine management systems for the surface mining industry have demonstrated their new personnel tracking iPhone App at AIMEX in Sydney. The Personnel Tracker App utilises the in-built GPS of the iPhone or similar smart phone to show the position of the person carrying the phone on a mine site display in the mineAPS office suite of fleet management software. The app has been designed to run in the background of an iPhone, automatically log the position of the person and transfer this information to the onboard computers of mineAPS Mobile equipped machines and to the central mineAPS Office software.
This allows machine operators to see where personnel are in relation to them and for managers to see the location of personnel on the mine site including a ‘tag board’ capability to show who is in a selected crib room or office. mineAPS Personnel Tracker combined with the mineAPS Office fleet system gives managers a better overall picture of where personnel are onsite and in relation to other mineAPS equipped machinery.
Safety enhancements are an important application of this technology. This device will increase the overall awareness of peoples locations across a site improving overall visibility of people relative to mobile equipment and other hazards meaning that dangerous situations could be identified and mitigated prior to an issue occurring.
“APS core business is about providing spatial and location based information to mine sites to improve productivity and utilisation. The extension of this from a machine based solution into a personnel based app is an important one due to the strong interaction between machines and personnel on a mine site. This app is a simple, smart, cost effective way of allowing mine managers to know the location of their personnel at all times without requiring large amounts of new hardware or wasting time on learning a new technology”, said Adam Forsyth, CEO of APS.
APS is looking forward to continued growth in 2011 with a range of product enhancements scheduled for release that will continue to position the company as a global leader in Machine Guidance, Condition Monitoring, Fleet Management and Information Management services for the mining industry.
Founded in 2002, APS develops, supplies and supports the mineAPSTM machine management systems for heavy mobile equipment used on surface mines including drills, dozers, excavators, shovels, wheel loaders, surface miners, auxiliary equipment, haul trucks and light vehicles.