Page 43 - EngineerIT September 2021

INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTS and INNOVATION you want to read about

Exxaro partners with University of Pretoria to drive safer and

sustainable mining

s part of its commitment to enhancing South Africa’s educational and “We are proud to have such a strategic partnership with the
Atechnological spheres, Exxaro Resources announced a partnership University of Pretoria and to be amongst the mining companies to
with the University of Pretoria to establish the first ever Exxaro Chair in explore the potential benefits of XR technology as a strategic intervention
Extended Reality (XR) Technology. across its operations,” says Exxaro CEO, Mxolisi Mgojo. “Together, we are
Extended reality technology refers to all real and virtual combined expanding on the practical capabilities of XR in the South African context
environments and human/machine interactions generated by computer while supporting our need for industry to embrace the opportunities of
technology, including augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and the 4th Industrial Revolution. The possibilities of what we could develop
virtual reality (VR). are really exciting.”
Through this partnership, the Exxaro Chair in XR Technology will Exxaro will work with the Virtual Reality and Interaction (VRI) lab,
offer a framework firstly on how the XR technology can be used to an initiative of the Department of Information Science at the University
address mining industry challenges, and secondly on identifying the best of Pretoria, as well as the Department of Mining Engineering. The VRI
available technologies for the solutions. This investment in technological lab applies XR technologies to create interactive user experiences for
advancement will allow for constant research towards a safer, economical various applications.
and more environmentally sensitive form of mining. The Exxaro Chair in XR Technology programme will assist in selecting
the most effective XR technology for the specific applications, and
then design interactions that can enable intuitive interaction with
the virtual environment. It will also offer extensive user testing of
proposed solutions to ensure that they address and solve as many of the
challenges as possible.
Among the solutions that will be explored are the application
of individual and shared VR, mobile, tethered and cave setup VR,
communication VR, tracked and untracked VR space, as well as hand
tracking and full body tracking.
“The EBIT faculty is honoured to work with an industry-leading
company such as Exxaro in adopting the UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure,
and also to strengthen SDG 8 which is decent work and economic growth;
both these are what South Africa desperately needs,” says Prof. Sunil
Tawana Kupe Vice-Chancellor of the University of Pretoria and Maharaj, Dean of the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Engineering, Built &
Mxolisi Mgojo (Exxaro CEO). Information Technology.

Vodacom installs new solar-powered sites Gauteng, in May last year.
Collectively, the three new sites will
to reduce carbon emissions generate approximately 127 MWh of energy
on an annual basis, which will help to reduce
the telco’s carbon emissions and lower its
s part of its energy and carbon management strategy and commitment to reducing its impact electricity consumption. The solar panels will
Aon the environment, Vodacom has installed new solar-powered sites in Polokwane, Vereeniging also ease the load on the sites’ batteries in
and Bloemfontein. Vodacom has invested over R8 million in these solar-powered sites, as part of its the event of load-shedding, ensuring network
ongoing commitment to securing alternative energy sources to power its operations, where feasible. reliability, quality and seamless connectivity
These three sites are in addition to a solar project installed at a base station controller site in Randburg, for customers.
The solar projects are aligned with
Vodacom’s purpose-led journey, in which
the company has committed to improve the
lives of 100 million people and reduce its
environmental impact to half by 2025. This is
also aligned to the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG
9 on industry innovation and infrastructure
and SDG 13 on climate action, as well as
South Africa’s National Development Plan,
which prioritises eliminating poverty, reducing
inequality and growing an inclusive economy
by 2030.