SEEING MACHINES SIGNS MAJOR D

RNS Number : 0631H

Seeing Machines Limited

12 February 2010

 



12 February 2010

Seeing Machines Limited

SEEING MACHINES SIGNS 1^ST MAJOR DEAL WITH GLOBAL mining Company

Seeing Machines Limited (AIM:SEE) announces it has concluded a Master Purchasing Agreement ("MPA") with Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. ("Freeport").  The MPA is a corporate level agreement establishing the master terms and conditions for the supply of the DSS product suite to Freeport's group of operating companies. 

Freeport (NYSE:FCX) is a global mining company with copper, gold and molybdenum operations across multiple continents.

This first resource industry deal follows the successful completion of a short DSS pilot at one of Freeport's copper mines in the USA.

Nick Cerneaz, CEO of Seeing Machines commented: "We are very excited to be working with Freeport in their efforts to actively manage driver fatigue in their operations, especially in their haul truck fleets. The intended deployment of DSS will be undertaken on a mine by mine basis and it is anticipated that the first new installations will be completed within this financial year.

"The pilot has also demonstrated the strong performance and reliability of the DSS in the very tough operating conditions typical of mining/resource industry deployments.  With a number of DSS pilots currently underway with other mining/resource companies, we are enthusiastic about the future success of the DSS." 

For further information:

Seeing Machines Limited www.seeingmachines.com	Nick Cerneaz, CEO	[phone]
Grant Thornton Corporate Finance (Nomad)	Gerry Beaney Robert Beenstock	[phone]
Daniel Stewart & Company plc	Martin Lampshire	[phone]
Walbrook PR Ltd	Ben Knowles Helen Westaway	[phone] Mob. [phone] [e-mail] [e-mail]

--- Information for Editors ---

About Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc.

More information about Freeport is available from their web site www.fcx.com.

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 disasters.  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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