Mining and Heavy Industries

World’s largest robot wins Australian Engineering Excellence Award

Copyright © 2018 Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto’s autonomous railway system, AutoHaul, has won Western Australia’s Engineering Excellence Award and been named a Sir William Hudson Award finalist.

The system is the first fully autonomous heavy haul railway system in the world and has been described by Rio Tinto as the world’s largest robot.

Trains up to 2.5 kilometres long can travel driverless across one of the world’s largest privately-owned rail networks.

The Australian Engineering Excellence Awards (AEEA) recognise Australia’s top engineering projects and the engineering teams behind them.

Related stories:

Following a judging process by an independent panel of experts, projects from each of Engineers Australia’s nine divisions are selected to win an AEEA.  One winner from each division is also selected as a finalist for the Sir William Hudson Award – the highest honour for a project awarded by Engineers Australia.

Engineers Australia General Manager – WA, Susan Kreemer Pickford congratulated all WA winners on their teamwork, innovation, and technical excellence.

“The Australian Engineering Excellence Award winners showcase the outstanding achievement in engineering and the invaluable contribution engineering makes to the economy, community and the environment,” Kreemer Pickford said.

Australian Engineering Excellence Award winners – WA 

  • AutoHaul – Rio Tinto
  • Groundwater Replenishment Scheme Stage 2 Expansion – Water Corporation of Western Australia
  • Agnew Hybrid Renewable Project – EDL, Gold Fields
  • Balticconnector Offshore Pipeline – Subsea Engineering Associates Pty Ltd
  • Kalbarri Skywalk Structures, Kalbarri National Park – Terpkos Engineering
  • EZONE – University of Western Australia – Pritchard Francis Consulting Pty Ltd, The University of Western Australia

Professional Engineer of the Year Award winner – WA 

  • Raj Kurup FIEAust CPEng NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus)

Young Professional Engineer of the Year Award winner – WA 

  • Chris Tenni MIEAust CPEng NER
Send this to a friend