15th July 2024 - Queensland's own AI software engineering company Bigmate has overcome impressive competition from Anglo American, Peabody and Mader to take home the award for Safety Initiative at the 2024 Queensland Mining Awards for their Dragline Proximity Awareness System.

The awards, hosted by the Bowen Basin Mining Club in partnership with the Queensland Resources Council were presented at a sold-out gala dinner in Mackay in July.

By adapting and refining their proprietary technology, originally developed for the manufacturing sector, Bigmate has created a first-of-its-kind solution for draglines that cracks a decades-long safety conundrum.

Their solution, which marries a multifaceted AI detection system with a hard engineered control, is currently being rolled out on multiple draglines in the Bowen Basin, with the company also trialing a version of the system on mine site excavators.

Managing Director, Mark Shield, believes it's the company's hands-on approach that makes the difference.

"The people who've developed the system are the same people who embed and commission the software on the ground, as well as provide the post-installation support. They have skin in the game."

On the back of their recent success, the company now has their sights set on the highly competitive U.S. market.

Bigmate's success at the Awards is testament to the sophistication and reliability of the application along with the hard work, dedication and out-of-the-box thinking of their Queensland-based software development team in solving industry's complex problems.