With the mining industry under increasing pressure to prioritise safety without compromising productivity, Booyco Electronics is pushing the boundaries of Proximity Detection System (PDS) and Collision Avoidance System (CAS) technology across both underground and surface operations. Leveraging over 18 years of experience in mine safety innovation, the South African-based company continues to lead the sector in developing intelligent adaptable safety solutions that meet today’s demanding operational and regulatory environments.

A Multi-Environment Approach to Mine Safety

Whether in the confined high-risk zones of underground operations or the complex and dynamic settings of open pit mines, proximity detection and collision avoidance are non-negotiable. According to Anton Lourens, CEO of Booyco Electronics, the hazards differ in these environments but the safety requirement remains the same, i.e. Zero Harm.

“In surface mining operations, poor visibility from dust, fog or low light and the movement of mixed fleets in large open areas create a unique set of safety challenges,” says Lourens. “Underground, the risks are amplified in narrow tunnels with minimal escape space, making early warning and rapid intervention absolutely vital.”

Booyco’s PDS solutions are designed to be effective across these conditions, providing scalable site-specific technologies that respond to real-world risks. “We have developed systems that work in both surface and underground mines, ensuring safety performance across multiple environments,” Lourens adds.

Driving Innovation with Multi-Technology and AI Integration

Booyco Electronics has remained at the forefront of innovation by developing PDS solutions that integrate multiple technologies - such as RFID and GPS - into a single intelligent platform. These systems are designed to deliver high-accuracy detection, reduce false alarms and ensure that operators receive only the most relevant alerts.

“False alarms are one of the biggest challenges to adoption,” says Lourens. “Our systems are engineered to issue graded alerts based on severity to inform and warn operators.”

Booyco Electronics’ latest developments also support interoperability across mixed OEM fleets, a critical requirement as mines rely on a diverse range of equipment. “Our solutions are OEM-agnostic, which means a mine doesn’t need to retrofit or replace existing machinery to achieve a unified PDS deployment,” explains Lourens.

Data-Driven Decision Making with BEAMS

A cornerstone of Booyco Electronics’ ecosystem is its BEAMS (Booyco Electronics Asset Management System) software platform which enables mines to harness operational data. By tracking near-misses, safety incidents and operator behaviour, BEAMS can potentially identify high-risk areas and implement proactive safety measures before incidents occur.

“In both underground and surface mines, access to actionable data is becoming essential,” Lourens notes. “BEAMS transforms data into a strategic tool helping mines optimise safety without compromising throughput.”

Smarter, Safer, More Autonomous

The company’s roadmap for 2025 and beyond reflects its commitment to the next evolution of mining safety. Current R&D efforts focus on incorporating advanced AI for smarter risk analysis, enabling engineering control intervention such as automatic braking or speed control and expanding remote diagnostics through IoT-enabled connectivity.

“As we move toward Level 9 safety systems, where intervention is automated, the role of AI and machine learning becomes even more important,” Lourens explains.

Integration with autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles is also a priority, ensuring that Booyco Electronics’ systems continue to safeguard human-machine interactions as mining shifts toward automation.

Pioneering the Next Generation of Mining Safety

Lourens says that as digital transformation reshapes the mining industry, Booyco Electronics will be playing a central role in creating safer more efficient working environments underground and on surface.

“Our latest intelligent data-driven approach to proximity detection and collision avoidance is giving mines the tools they need to meet tightening safety regulations and reduce incidents,” he says.

“Safety doesn’t need to come at the expense of productivity,” Lourens concludes. “With the right technology and user adaptation, the two go hand in hand.”