Armed with an Xbox controller and a 4G mobile internet connection, visitors to the Transmin booth were given the opportunity to operate a rock breaker located out the back of the company’s manufacturing facility in Perth. 

A TV monitor conveyed live footage of the machine via a camera set up at the site as it used Transmin’s Rocklogic software to remotely drill away at the ground.

Transmin customer service engineer Jon Wilson said the benefits of operating the machine remotely were “multi-fold”.

“You have a safety element, because in environments where a rock breaker is installed there’s a lot of dust, a lot of noise, a lot of moving equipment and what have you,” he said.

“Additionally we have a cost saving, so when you have a delay involved with an operator getting to a position where they can use this equipment, time is money. 

“[Using the Rocklogic software] a single operator can use one or more instruments at any one time. So they could be in a control centre and have six screens up with six different pieces of equipment, and they can switch between each piece of equipment as and when needed.”

Add-ons to the Rocklogic software open up other benefits including moving the machine to various positions with the touch of a button, preventing unnecessary damage to the machinery with customised collision avoidance software and minimised component wear and improved communication between equipment.

Though there was noticeable lag in operation of the machine, Wilson assured visitors that this was due to the limited 4G network being used, whereas mine sites could achieve smooth operation through their dedicated networks. 

Transmin is located at booth 2822.