The world’s largest mining event, MINExpo International 2024, more than doubled attendance since its last rendition in 2021, bringing about 45,000 attendees, including 2,000 exhibitors from 148 countries to the Las Vegas Convention Center, Sept. 24-26.
The show is the place to see the latest tech in mining equipment and some huge pieces of equipment. While there’s nothing like climbing into the cabin of a haul truck the size of a multi-story building, it’s impossible to see these pieces, and the innovation behind them, in action on the show floor. To put attendees in the driver’s seat, exhibiting brands are perfecting the use of technology-based interactives, and EM was on hand to test them in action.
Remote Operations and Realistic Simulators
To showcase its equipment’s capabilities, Caterpillar Inc. invited attendees to a remote operations experience where they could remotely operate a loader, a dozer and a drill some 450 miles away in Tenaja Hills, Arizona. The interactive was supervised by a subject matter expert available to answer any questions and guide the process. Across the exhibit, attendees could also try out the new simulators, part of the collaborative worksite training package that teaches operators to work together as a team and gives them a real-life feel for the job without the fear of causing harm to themselves, others and equipment.
AR/VR
Several brands leveraged AR/VR activations to bring their equipment to life. Michelin had a dedicated lounge on the exhibit’s balcony, where attendees could learn about the brand’s mining solutions with “choose-your-own-solution” augmented reality stations. MMD Group captured attendees’ attention with a waterfall analyzer that showed the material analysis on the screen between two equipment pieces, making for an engaging and informative visual. From there, they could dig deeper into how the brand’s equipment would work in their mine with AV and VR experiences, which, according to company reps, got a lot of traction.
Holofans
Dramatic overhead ribbons and massive pieces like shovel teeth set the stage at the exhibit of a mining equipment manufacturer Weir. When it came to showcasing the truly large pieces, such as grinders, the company went small and dynamic with holofans. Placed next to a video screen with the explanation, they provided a captivating visual representation and added an attention-grabbing motion different from a regular video wall, conveying the message of innovation.
Robots
Boston Dynamics grabbed attendees’ attention with its quadruped Spot robots that may look like pets, but are actually used in a variety of industries, including mining, for autonomous tasks. Robotics and autonomous solutions are gaining ground in mining, and a relatable robot like Spot can pave the way to deeper automation.
Less Build, More Tech
Digital reality solutions company Hexagon had very little going on as far as booth architecture, but brought in the wow with unique tech touchpoints such as a Kuzma Self-Playing Guitar and a tele-operations station allowing attendees to operate machinery at a remote location. Spot the robot was on hand, too, for a touch of smile-inducing tech. Underground solutions were aptly presented in a futuristic tunnel, but other than that, it was all cardboard signs with QR codes linking to digital experiences, putting the power of a connected digital mine into attendees’ hands.
More from MINExpo: Q&A: 10 Minutes with Luiz Pustiglione of Caterpillar Inc.
