东京——日本日铁矿业公司计划在2033年前将其矿山的大型自卸卡车改装为自动驾驶车辆，以应对影响该行业的劳动力短缺问题。
TOKYO -- Japanese company Nittetsu Mining plans to convert large dump trucks at its mines into autonomous vehicles by 2033 to tackle the labor shortage affecting the industry.
采矿机械的远程和自动化操作在澳大利亚等海外大型露天矿已十分普遍。但由于日本矿山规模较小，对这项技术的投资似乎并不划算，导致采用该技术的进程滞后。
Remote and automated operation of mining machinery are already widespread in large open-pit mines in Australia and other places overseas. But because Japanese mines are smaller in scale, investment in the technology did not seem justified, resulting in a delay in adopting the tech.
自动驾驶自卸卡车将在高知县的鸟形山矿区投入使用，这是日本产量最高的石灰石矿。
The self-driving dump trucks will be rolled out at Kochi prefecture's Torigatayama Quarry Complex, Japan's most productive limestone mine.
该矿的八辆大型自卸卡车中，将有一到两辆在2033年前实现自动驾驶。在实现车辆自动化之前，计划先对卡车进行远程控制。
Of the eight large dump trucks at the mine, one or two will be autonomous by 2033. Before automating the vehicles, the plan is to have the trucks be remote controlled.
去年，该矿区升级了通信网络，以追踪现场重型机械的位置。日铁矿业正在探索在成本和易用性方面最优的自动驾驶平台。
Last year, the quarry upgraded its communication network to track the location of heavy machinery at the site. Nittetsu Mining is exploring an autonomous driving platform that is optimal in terms of cost and user-friendliness.
鸟形山是一座露天矿，面积约为33个棒球场大小，在那里作业的自卸卡车高度超过6米。与卡车需要在隧道中穿行的地下矿山不同，露天矿山更适合采用远程控制和自动驾驶。
Torigatayama is an open-pit mine roughly the size of 33 baseball field, and the dump trucks that operate there are over 6 meters tall. Unlike underground mines, where trucks need to navigate through tunnels, open-air mines are more feasible for adopting remote control and autonomous driving.
截至3月底，该矿区共有109名员工，包括行政人员和机械操作员。劳动力主要由当地年轻人组成，但有时会出现工人短缺的情况。
At the end of March, 109 people were working at the quarry, including administrative staff and machine operators. The workforce is made up of mostly young people from the area, but sometimes there is a shortage of workers.
日铁计划到2033年，先从鸟形山八辆自卸卡车中的一到两辆的自动驾驶开始。
Nittetsu plans to begin with autonomous driving of one or two of the eight dump trucks at Torigatayama by 2033.
随着劳动力逐步老龄化，目标是在鸟形山建立一套能够以目前约一半人员运营的基础设施。
With the workforce steadily aging out, the goal is to have an infrastructure in place where Torigatayama can be operated with about half the current staff.
远程控制的卡车将使城市地区的工人能够在家操作机械，而自动驾驶则可以实现24小时运营。
Remote-controlled trucks would allow for workers in urban areas to operate machinery from home while autonomous operation would enable 24-hour operations.
这项技术还将解决采石场所在地鸟形山的不稳定天气问题。台风季节，该地区道路封闭，工人无法到达现场。
The tech would also address the unstable weather at Mount Torigata, where the quarry is located. Roads in the area are closed during typhoon season, which prevents workers from showing up at the site.
20世纪90年代，鸟形山曾使用过自动驾驶自卸卡车，但因性能限制而停止使用。
Autonomous dump trucks were used at Torigatayama in the 1990s, but were discontinued due to performance limitations.
日本曾经有数十万名矿工，但矿山关闭和恶劣的工作条件不断使这一数字下降。今年，该国约有1.1万名矿工。
There were once hundreds of thousands of miners in Japan, but mine closures and harsh working conditions have continued to drive that number down. This year, the country has about 11,000 mine workers.
日本大约有20座大型石灰石矿山和采石场，占国内产量的70%。随着劳动力短缺加剧，预计更多矿山将采用远程操作和自动化设备。
There are roughly 20 large limestone mines and quarries in Japan, which account for 70% of domestic output. Remotely operated and automated equipment is likely to be adopted at more mines as the labor shortage worsens.