Mining companies betting on autonomous technology to make dangerous jobs safer

“It was just a huge success for us,” said Shannon Rhynold, Nutrien’s vice-president of potash engineering, technology and capital. “Traditionally in potash mining, you’ve got these 250-tonne, massive pieces of equipment. “Let’s be honest, when you’ve got a 250-tonne machine that’s cutting into rock, there’s noise, there’s dust, there’s heat, there’s vibration,“ Rhynold said. Chinese telecom firm Huawei has been installing 5G technology to allow underground mine workers to be replaced by machines operated from the surface. “It potentially makes mining interesting to a wider range of people.”Mark Crouse, industry account executive for mining with software giant SAP, said he’s been hearing mining customers talk about the potential for remote and autonomous technology for more than 20 years.