Is Mining about to go Micro?

In the near future, further miniturisation of the electronics, and better smarts will mean that this kind of technology can be used to continually update the topography of an open cut mine. We predict swarms of such robots preceeding ultra large automated vehicles, helping automated shovels load automated trucks.

Perhaps they will even be able to replace the truck fleet, with millions of tiny robot flies moving enormous tonnages of ore without the need for roads, ramps etc. Just the saving in the profile of the open cut pit would change the economics of  mining. Underground mines could benefit too, with robot miners like the fly moving in to survey the mine after blasting - testing the air, rockface stability, everything. Read our Point of View (PDF 305KB)