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CSIRO ICT Centre has trialled its automation technology in large Hot Metal Carriers (HMC), capable of delivering buckets of molten aluminium without human intervention, at Rio Tinto Aluminium’s Bell Bay Smelter in Tasmania.

Safety is a prime factor when developing automated vehicles that operate in the same environment as people and the automated system has a number of in-built safety systems including an obstacle detection system.

Autonomous vehicles have been operating in some factories for over a decade and heavy industrial settings, such as aluminium smelters, are the next frontier. CSIRO ICT Centre aims to develop technology capable of operating autonomously in conditions including extreme heat and dust, very high magnetic fields, and poor weather.

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