Contact Harald recently expanded its platform to include new products – Ask Harry and Find Harry – that enhance two of the biggest concerns in mining: safety and productivity.
As a leader in the field of Bluetooth technology applications, Contact Harald was a key provider of close-proximity location solutions globally during the COVID pandemic.
The Australian-born technology and design company has a significant footprint in 19 countries and employs highly experienced design and engineering teams in Sydney and Melbourne.
To maintain its global momentum, Contact Harald has unveiled a new suite of safety and productivity solutions called Ask Harry and Find Harry.
Ask Harry
Ask Harry is an intelligent digital assistant designed to streamline mining safety procedures and increase operational productivity. Controlled by voice, Ask Harry makes the finding and lodging of reports faster, easier, and less error-prone than traditional methods.
“Ask Harry humanises technology, making filing a detailed hazard report as simple as a conversation with a co-worker,” Contact Harald head of product and technology Matt Denton told Australian Mining.
“Harry breaks down barriers and increases engagement.”
Accessing Ask Harry is as simple as a phone or two-way radio call, and the system can converse in multiple languages.
Find Harry
Find Harry is an integrated system allowing for real-time and last-seen location tracking.
“Find Harry is the natural evolution of our work in location technologies over the past decade,” Denton said.
Find Harry allows mine operators to access a clear picture of workers’ whereabouts, as well as the precise location of tools, equipment, inventory, and assets at all times. The system is able to do this by combining multiple technologies such as Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi.
“We are expanding our products to include indoor, outdoor, and proximity-based solutions,” Denton said.
“When you add Ask Harry in the mix you get location with intelligence, creating smarter ways to use your location data.”
Ask Harry and Find Harry can be combined to make the most of the technologies.
By joining the ease of use, speed, and multilingual offerings of Ask Harry with the locating capabilities of Find Harry, mining companies can enjoy an array of features.
These include enhanced communication, faster access to information, quicker and more accurate safety reporting, and inventory, equipment, asset and fleet management optimisation.
Contact Harald chief financial officer Nick O’Halloran has been happy with the number of mining companies who are already keen to implement this new technology.
“Those in the mining and allied sectors such as construction have expressed a considerable amount of interest during the development of our new products and are eagerly awaiting opportunities to trial, in view of -scale roll outs,” he said.
“It’s great to see such a high degree of interest in embracing new technologies.
“I’m certain that the sector is about to make great strides in productivity and worker safety.”
Users of the Harry systems will be able to view a digital map of their mining sites, which they can then use to find the location of people and equipment. Mining personnel can also access job information, directions, and safety updates by calling Harry and using voice commands.
Any reports that need to be made can be uploaded in real-time through a worker’s mobile phone or two-way radio. Using voice increases safety report volume and speeds up report lodgements, which in turn means the necessary steps to remove hazards can occur quicker.
Incidents are also able to be reported faster, with people nearby able to alert emergency personnel through Harry. Harry can then provide emergency services with the exact location of the incident.
Ask Harry and Find Harry will be available in the Australian and US markets by the end of 2022. O’Halloran said both markets are keen to access the technology, but added that Contact Harald has been receiving interest from all over the world.
“We’ve been getting some very interesting enquiries from abroad, such as in Africa, so we may end up moving our 2023 market entry dates forward to keep up with the demand,” he said.
Mining and construction services should find benefit in the use of Ask Harry and Find Harry, as the novel approach to location and tracking, merged with the power of artificial intelligence (AI), brings significant operational and process improvements to a site.
“Ask and Find Harry form a powerful duo to help create a safer work environment, plus increase productivity,” Denton concluded.
This feature appeared in the October issue of Australian Mining.