Contract Win

RNS Number : 4934O

Seeing Machines Limited

30 June 2010

 

30 June 2010

SEEING MACHINES AWARDED DSS CONTRACT FOR LARGE NORTH AMERICAN COPPER MINE

Seeing Machines Limited (AIM:SEE), a leading developer of advanced vision based industrial systems announces it has been awarded a contract to install DSS driver monitoring equipment in the haul truck fleet at the Morenci mine in Arizona, majority owned by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. ("Freeport"). This will be the company's largest DSS mining contract to date and will pilot the DSS deployment at this mine.

The DSS is an active system that directly monitors the driver of a vehicle for distraction and fatigue events and provides a series of interventions aimed at managing these events and averting potential operator caused accidents.

This contract builds on earlier DSS trial installations at Freeport's Safford mine in Arizona (announced 13 April 2010) and the Grasberg mine in Indonesia (announced 15 March 2010), and represents the commencement of the next phase of DSS deployment at other Freeport operations.  This contract is one of the expected contracts referred to in a Trading Update announced on 24 June 2010.

Nick Cerneaz, CEO of Seeing Machines commented: "We are extremely pleased to have won our largest DSS mining contract to date.  This new purchase contract forms part of our forward pipeline of DSS business which remains especially strong in the resource/mining industry segment.  Whilst we have seen a slower than expected uptake of DSS in the over-the-road freight transport subsectors, arising directly from the impacts of the global economic slowdown of the past 18 months on this subsector, the contrasting growth in demand from the mining sector continues to grow in line with expectations. The Directors believe the company's sales pipeline in the mining sector remains as strong as ever and the forward prospects for our DSS business remain positive for FY2011 and beyond.

Enquiries:

Seeing Machines Limited	Nick Cerneaz, CEO           [phone]
Daniel Stewart & Company plc	Oliver Rigby                       [phone]
Walbrook PR Ltd [phone]	Ben Knowles:                    [phone]                                                 [e-mail]

--- Information for Editors ---

About Seeing Machines Limited

Seeing Machines is a leading developer of advanced vision based industrial systems, specializing in automotive, medical, entertainment and research applications.  More information is available from our web site: www.seeingmachines.com.  

About the DSS

The DSS is an active system that directly monitors the driver of a vehicle for distraction and fatigue events and provides a series of interventions aimed at managing these events and averting potential operator caused accidents.  The DSS Suite integrates three layers of risk mitigation:

1.    instant in-cab feedback to the driver from the DSS-IVS (in vehicle system);

2.    real-time alerts to fleet dispatchers via the DSS-Link or DSS-Relay products;  and

3.    management reporting, driver feedback & training, utilizing the DSSi product.

The DSS-IVS sensors monitor the driver's head motion & eye closure.   When the driver's eyes have not been focussed on the roadway ahead for a period, either because the driver is looking elsewhere (a distraction event), or because they are closed (for example during a microsleep event), then the DSS-IVS detects this event and generates instant alarms, such as:

·     Audio alerts, and

·     Seat vibration tactile feedback.

These instant alerts rouse the driver and help them regain focus on the roadway ahead and re-establish safe operation of the vehicle.

The DSS product suite includes options to link the alerts with dispatchers and controllers located in central control rooms using an organization's existing communications infrastructure.  DSS-Link or DSS-Relay allows the DSS-IVS alerts to be instantly forwarded to the dispatcher/controller in the central control room, allowing them to make appropriate interventions based on the Fatigue Management Plan (FMP) relevant to the specific organisation.   Such real-time interventions can include:

·     Contacting/communicating directly with the driver,

·     Rotating or resting drivers,

·     Altering work schedules, etc.

Finally, the DSSi product is an integrated data management, analysis and reporting system that gives fleet managers the information they need to manage their vehicles and drivers effectively. Coupled with an effective Fatigue Management Plan (FMP) the DSS suite allows organizations to take active steps to manage driver fatigue and distraction in their operations, and mitigate risks at all levels in the process. 

More information about the DSS, including a case study detailing an organization that has used the DSS to dramatically reduce accidents attributed to fatigue or distraction (in fact to record 11 months so far without any such accidents in a fleet that previously had an excessive accident rate) can be found in our recent newsletter: SM-News, available at: www.seeingmachines.com/latest-news/

General information about the DSS is available from: www.seeingmachines.com/product/dss/.

 

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