AutoMine by Sandvik: status and timeline

AutoMine

Take people out of dangerous, dusty tunnels and keep machines working through shift changes and blasting breaks, so mines move more ore safely.

ScalingStage 5 of 5

In 140+ mines; AutoMine Aura with 3D perception now available on loaders, other machines to follow.

Updated 1 Sep 2026Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Aura extended beyond loaders

First AutoMine loading system, El Teniente, Chile2004Complete.
AutoMine Fleet project starts at El TenienteDec 2020Complete.
Five Byrnecut AutoMine ordersQ1 2026Complete.
AutoMine Aura announced26 May 2026Complete.
Aura shown at Future of Mining, Tampere1 Sep 2026Complete.
Aura extended beyond loadersNowCurrent milestone.

Most important updates

Current obstacles

Spreading Aura across the product rangeAura launched only on loaders; trucks and drill rigs still run the older system until it is adapted to them.
Shared space with peopleZones still close to workers while machines run, which limits how many hours the robots can work in busy mines.

Physics limits

No satellite positioning undergroundGPS does not reach through rock, so machines must locate themselves from what their own sensors see against a map, which drifts when tunnels change after every blast.
Dust, water and darkness blind sensorsLaser and camera sensors lose range in thick dust, spray and mud, so a robot must slow down or stop where conditions are worst.
Radio struggles in tunnelsRock blocks radio signals, so remote supervision needs networks strung through every tunnel; coverage gaps limit where autonomy can go.

How it works

4 parts

Sensing

Seeing the tunnel walls

Scanners on the machine map the tunnel around it; Aura adds a 3D perception system that gives the loader a fuller picture of its surroundings.

Driving

Following taught routes

The machine compares what it sees with a stored map of the tunnels to know where it is, then drives, loads and dumps along planned routes.

Control room

One person, several machines

A surface operator assigns tasks and takes over remotely for tricky moments, such as digging into a messy pile of blasted rock.

Safety

Fenced-off work zones

Autonomous areas are closed to people; access control stops the machines if someone enters the zone.

Spec sheet

Spec	AutoMine
Mines using AutoMine	140+^R (reported)
Hours without lost-time injury	Nearly 9 million^R (reported)
Loaders per operator (Multi-Lite)	Up to 3^R (reported)
Aura extra material moved (test)	15%+^R (reported)
In service since	2004^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

4 updates

About Sandvik

The team behind AutoMine

Sandvik

Underground mining machines, AutoMine

Sandvik is a Swedish engineering group founded in 1862 that makes mining machines, rock-processing gear and cutting tools. Its AutoMine software drives underground loaders, trucks and drill rigs without anyone on board.

AutoMine runs in more than 140 mines and has logged nearly 9 million hours without a lost-time injury.
AutoMine Aura, a rebuilt platform with 3D perception, launched on loaders in 2026; it moved 15%+ more ore in tests.
Byrnecut, the largest underground mining contractor, ordered AutoMine for five more mines in early 2026.

home.sandvik (opens home.sandvik)Company profile →

Founded: 1862164 yrs
Headquarters: Sweden
Status: Public
Valuation: public
Staff: ~42,000Jan 2025
Works in: VehiclesMining & off-road autonomy
Coverage: 1 program · 4 updateslatest 1 Sep 2026checked 11 Oct
Customers: Byrnecut (opens globalminingreview.com)CodelcoKamoa Copper (opens mining.sandvik)
People: Stefan WidingPresident & CEODavid HallettVice President, Automation

Spec

AutoMine

Mines using AutoMine

140+^R (reported)

Hours without lost-time injury

Nearly 9 million^R (reported)

Loaders per operator (Multi-Lite)

Up to 3^R (reported)

Aura extra material moved (test)

15%+^R (reported)

In service since

2004^R (reported)

AutoMine

Milestones

Most important updates

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Seeing the tunnel walls

Following taught routes

One person, several machines

Fenced-off work zones

Spec sheet

Update log

Tue 1 Sep

Tue 25 Aug

Tue 26 May

Wed 25 Mar

About Sandvik

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Seeing the tunnel walls

Following taught routes

One person, several machines

Fenced-off work zones

Spec sheet

Update log

Tue 1 Sep

Tue 25 Aug

Tue 26 May

Wed 25 Mar

About Sandvik