School students get up close and personal with autonomous trucks

07 October 2025
Image of some men in a group holding technical apparatus
(L-R) CQU Teacher Autonomous Technologies Geoff Rooney, Tom Rucinski BHP Manager of Operational Technology (Coal), school students Michael Evans, Aaron Leto, Ben Latcham and John Davison Komatsu Australia Support Manager Mining Automation.

By Greg Chapman

Rockhampton school students undertaking CQUniversity’s Certificate II in Autonomous Technologies got to play with some big machinery thanks to a BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and Komatsu industry visit at the Rockhampton North campus.

Representatives from BMA and Komatsu met with students from North Rockhampton High School, and Lighthouse Christian School to introduce autonomous mining haul trucks, how they operate and the associated systems and equipment.

Teacher Geoff Rooney said the visit allowed students the opportunity to connect and experience 'real world' applications of some of the technologies and systems they are learning about in their course. 

Image of two men giving a presentation in a classroom setting
School students listen in on the autonomous truck presentation

“While our industry partners, BMA and Komatsu, are from the mining sector, autonomous technologies are prevalent across many sectors of our workplaces and lives today, such as agriculture, manufacturing, entertainment, aviation, maritime and space industries,” Geoff said.

“Some different systems can include ICT and Networking, sensors and how they interact with control systems and how machines are controlled with other mechanical systems like Fluid Power systems (Hydraulics and Pneumatics).

“The visit offered students a chance to learn about autonomous technologies in mining and potential career opportunities to explore when they leave school.

The Certificate II in Autonomous Technologies course is delivered from CQU Rockhampton North and Mackay Ooralea via CQU’s Start TAFE Now (STN) program, through the Queensland Future Skills Partnership (QFSP) with TAFE Queensland and BMA.

Applications for Start TAFE Now are now being accepted.