Perception & localisation
Camera, LiDAR, radar and positioning inputs feed obstacle detection, free-space understanding and vehicle-state estimation.
AUTONOMOUS MINING SOFTWARE / WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Autonomous systems for heavy mining equipment.
We develop the software and control architecture that lets heavy mobile equipment understand its surroundings, follow a task, move safely and coordinate with other machines. The work covers simulation, onboard autonomy and the fleet-level systems that supervise multiple vehicles.
Perception
Localisation
Mission management
Motion planning
Vehicle control
HARDWARE BETA TESTING
We are looking for retired machines for hardware testing.
LPlatesDriver is in hardware beta testing and is looking for retired heavy equipment in Western Australia to use as permanent engineering test platforms. Our current priorities are an excavator, a front-end loader and a dump truck.
donate@lplatesdriver.com
Please treat any donated machine as an engineering donor platform, not equipment that will be returned to service.
We may remove or replace original electrical systems, control hardware, panels, sensors, wiring, hydraulic interfaces, cab components and other assemblies while fitting our own instrumentation, automation hardware and safety systems. Once accepted for donation, the machine should be considered permanently modified and potentially non-recoverable in its original form.
Running equipment is useful, but it does not have to be mine-ready. Our current hardware beta targets are:
- Excavator
- Front-end loader
- Dump truck / haul truck
The immediate work is hardware integration: instrumenting machine state, mapping control interfaces, fitting sensors, developing drive-by-wire adapters, testing failsafe states and connecting real hardware back into our simulation and autonomy stack.
Excavator wanted
Front-end loader wanted
Dump truck wanted
Non-production equipment
Permanent modification OK
HOW INDUSTRY DOES EARLY HARDWARE R&D
Examples of staged mining R&D.
Large mining programs use controlled test platforms and staged conversions before wider deployment. These Western Australian examples show the same basic development pattern at industrial scale.
PILBARA / WA
South Flank autonomous conversion
Komatsu documented conversion of an existing 930E fleet from conventional operation to autonomous haulage in staged batches.
JIMBLEBAR / WA Early Learner field testingBHP, Rio Tinto and Caterpillar used instrumented Early Learner trucks for controlled on-site testing before broader deployment decisions.
GUDAI-DARRI / WA Prototype pilot and pre-production trialsRio Tinto and Caterpillar described development milestones progressing through prototype, validation and pre-production testing.
External examples are linked for technical context. LPlatesDriver is not affiliated with these companies or projects.
WHAT WE DO
Vehicle autonomy and fleet control.
LPlatesDriver is a Western Australian engineering project focused on autonomous mobile equipment for mining. Current work covers simulation, machine control interfaces and software for coordinating autonomous vehicles.
At vehicle level, that means perception, localisation, path planning, drive-by-wire interfaces and safety-state handling. At fleet level, it means mission assignment, geofenced operating areas, traffic interaction, queue logic and supervisory control.
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
Autonomy system architecture.
The system is split into practical engineering layers so perception, planning, vehicle control and fleet supervision can be developed and tested independently.
Mission management
A supervisory layer assigns tasks, operating zones and destinations while maintaining machine state and mission state.
Path planning & control
Route and motion planners produce a safe trajectory, then vehicle control translates that plan into steering, braking and propulsion commands.
Fleet orchestration
Multiple autonomous machines share roads, intersections and work areas using traffic rules, geofences, right-of-way logic and central supervision.
MACHINE DOMAINS
Machine platforms.
The core software can be reused, but each machine needs its own control interfaces, operating limits and task logic.
01
AUTONOMOUS HAULAGE
Haul trucks
Long-duration autonomous missions, route following, intersection handling, queue management, spotting, dump approach and dispatch integration.
- Mission state machine
- Geofenced haul routes
- Traffic and right-of-way logic
- Drive-by-wire command interface
02
AUTONOMOUS LOADING
Wheel loaders
Short-cycle autonomy with tighter perception requirements, dynamic work zones and repeated interaction with piles, trucks and changing terrain.
- Local terrain perception
- Bucket and articulation state
- Truck presentation zones
- Cycle sequencing
03
DIG UNIT AUTOMATION
Excavators
Work-area perception, safe swing envelopes, truck positioning, task sequencing and machine control around a changing face.
- Work-envelope modelling
- Truck pose and presentation
- Attachment trajectory planning
- Interlock and exclusion logic
04
AUTONOMOUS EARTHWORKS
Dozers & graders
Surface following, task boundaries, route generation, implement control and safe operation around edges, windrows and other mobile equipment.
- Terrain and surface model
- Task boundary generation
- Implement control interface
- Supervised autonomous routines
TECHNICAL PAPERS
Technical papers.
LPlatesDriver notes covering autonomy architecture, fleet coordination and simulation-led validation.
LP-TP-001
Reference Architecture for an Autonomous Mining Vehicle
Perception, localisation, mission management, planning, control and drive-by-wire integration.
LP-TP-002Fleet Orchestration in Mixed Mining Traffic
Traffic state, right-of-way, geofences, machine missions and supervisory control.
LP-TP-003Simulation-First Validation of Mining Autonomy
Scenario testing, operational design domains, software-in-the-loop and fault injection.
TEST EQUIPMENT WANTED
Retiring old mining machinery?
LPlatesDriver is currently looking for mines, contractors and equipment owners in Western Australia who have end-of-life, retired or otherwise non-operational mobile plant that may be suitable for donation, long-term loan or controlled access for engineering development.
The aim is to use real machine platforms to test interfaces, instrument controls, validate simulation models, configure automation hardware and develop safer, more practical autonomy concepts without interfering with active production equipment.
Suitable equipment may include haul trucks, wheel loaders, excavators, dozers, graders, service vehicles and other heavy mobile plant. Machines do not need to be production-ready, but must be legally transferable or accessible and capable of being made safe for controlled engineering work.
Talk to us about a machineENGINEERING APPROACH
Simulation before field deployment.
Mining autonomy has to behave predictably around large machines, limited visibility, changing road conditions and mixed traffic. The safest place to find bad assumptions is in simulation, before they are connected to real steering, braking or hydraulic systems.
LPlatesDriver work is therefore structured around digital machine models, scenario replay, software-in-the-loop testing and clear fallback states before any real-machine integration is considered.
enquiries@lplatesdriver.com →