As one of the earliest pioneers in proximity detection systems (PDS) and collision prevention system (CPS), Booyco Electronics has been pushing out the technology envelope for 15 years in the service of customers’ changing needs.

“Understanding market requirements has always been the starting point for our technology journey,” says Booyco Electronics CEO Anton Lourens. “We have therefore combined our close customer relationships in the field with an ongoing investment in technical capacity and product innovation.”

An important contributor to the technological breakthroughs developed by the company has been its engagement with the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table (EMESRT). This global initiative of major mining companies to improve safety has given Booyco Electronics valuable insight into the future requirements of PDS and CPS.

“Working with the key players in pedestrian and machine safety, we have ensured that we apply the latest technology in precisely the direction that the market demands,” says Lourens. “For instance, we were able to develop solutions to meet EMESRT’s Level 9 requirements, so that trackless machines could be “instructed” to automatically be brought to a stop in a risk / hazardous situation.”

Driving this progress is a top-class engineering team which has been steadily growing to now comprise some 25 specialists. This highlights the need for the company to stay abreast of digital and electronic developments that can be harnessed in the PDS and CPS space.

“Globally, technology is developing at an exponential rate,” he says. “To keep up with what is available, and to fully leverage new technologies into our PDS offerings, we employ a team that is young, well qualified and enthusiastic.”

To make the most of modern technologies, this new generation of engineers is paving the way to safer and smarter mining, says Lourens. This cohort does not shy away from change and advancement, making them ideal to keep Booyco Electronics at the cutting edge of PDS and CPS innovation.

“This has allowed us to keep upgrading our products for greater functionality and versatility,” he says. “The process has included making regular use of the testing services of third party providers, such as. at the Vehicle Dynamics Group at the University of Pretoria – to fully evaluate our innovations before release to the market.”