Mining companies betting on autonomous technology to make dangerous jobs safer

Forget about the canary in the coal mine -- experts say the day is coming when there won't even be a need for a human.

Using a combination of radar, cameras, advanced sensing systems and cutting-edge technologies powered by artificial intelligence, Nutrien was able to operate one of its massive potash boring machines from a control room a few hundred metres away from the active mining face. "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.

That's why safety has been one of the main drivers behind an ongoing, massive transition towards automation in the industry, thanks to recent advances in AI and digital and remote technology. Productivity is one reason mining companies are making the move to automation. A tele-remote operated mining machine, for example, doesn't need to take breaks, and doesn't need to pause for shift changes.

Language in the current collective agreement between Teck Coal Ltd. and United Steelworkers Local 7884 -- which contains an entire section about "technological change" and lays out the employer's obligations in the event that "mechanization or automation of duties" leads to job losses -- illustrates the nervousness some employees may feel about the prospect of remote-operated equipment and driverless trucks.

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