The Autonomous Mining Working Group is focused on assisting the industry with its ongoing digital transformation and helping operations achieve the benefits that autonomous systems can offer. The group is built by subject-matter experts, leaders from inside and outside the industry, suppliers, operators, and those interested in implementing autonomous systems in mining.
Objectives
- Improve safety and productivity in the mining industry by identifgying and offering guidance on key challenges and documenting good practices for autonomous mining.
- Enable a global network of multidisciplinary and multi-sectorial professionals in fields related to autonomous mining to share lessons learned and best practices and drive valuable conversations.
- Set a common vision among diverse stakeholders for autonomous systems and facilitate innovation and digital transformation in mining.
WHY AUTONOMOUS MINING MATTERS
The mining industry is increasingly embracing automation as a safety and productivity enabler and as a critical factor in creating a sustainable future of mining. For these reasons, automation is a key part of many mining companies’ digital transformation roadmaps alongside advances in artificial intelligence, system integration, remote operations and the Internet of Things.
While autonomous mining is innovating the mining industry, it also introduces new challenges, such as:
- New security and safety risks introduced by the reliance these systems have on technology to manage safety-critical functions
- Changes to the size and shape of the workforce, which may also have a social impact beyond the operation
- Adaptations to mine design and planning
- Potential changes to regulatory requirements
- Accommodating the rapid transformation of technology by building the system infrastructure, mine design and operational processes so that the operation can continuously adapt
CONSIDERATIONS
UPCOMING EVENTS
ACTIVE PROJECTS
Implementation of Autonomous Systems in Mining version 2
Version 2 is under development and will update the content to reflect the rapidly changing landscape around autonomous technologies. Learn more.
Autonomous System Safety
Developing a white paper that aims to provide valuable context and education about system safety to enable safety and operational effectiveness throughout all phases of the autonomous system lifecycle. Click here to read more.
GMG PUBLICATIONS
2020 Aug | Guideline for Applying Functional Safety to Autonomous Systems in Mining
This guideline provides a common approach to applying functional safety to autonomous systems and references international standards within the context of the mining industry and its current maturity. It also describes clear expectations for the communication requirements to support change management and effective application. Click here to read.
2019 Aug | РУКОВОДСТВО ПО ВНЕДРЕНИЮ СИСТЕМ АВТОМАТИЧЕСКОГО УПРАВЛЕНИЯ В ГОРНОДОБЫВАЮЩЕЙ ПРОМЫШЛЕНННОСТИ. [Russian Translation]
This translation of the Guideline for the Implementation of Autonomous Systems in Mining– a joint effort between GMG and autonomous solutions provider RCT – is a great step towards expanding its reach to regions and sites where English is not the first language. Click here to read.
2019 Apr | Guideline for the Implementation of Autonomous Systems in Mining
The guideline provides a high-level framework for mining stakeholders to follow when establishing autonomous mining projects ranging from single autonomous vehicles and hybrid fleets to highly autonomous fleets. Click here to read.
KNOWLEDGE SHARING PRESENTATIONS
Robotics Employment Opportunities (Video)
Elliot Duff, Robotics Research Portfolio Manager at CSIRO, discusses advances in Robotics and the Employment opportunities that it provides. Click here to watch.