Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden) has signed an agreement with OffWorld, a global pioneer in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered industrial swarm robotic mining systems, to further explore the potential of utilizing smart robots in Ma’aden’s mines.

 

The largest multi-commodity mining and metals company in the Middle East, Ma'aden said the agreement, a first step toward achieving autonomous industrial mining, was inked at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh.

 

The promise of these robotic mining swarms will usher in a new era of zero-carbon footprint mining with no people in harm’s way and will revolutionize the processing of the minerals in the mine itself, it stated.

 

OffWorld CEO and Co-founder Jim Keravalasaid: "We are developing the world’s most rugged industrial swarming robots who are able to operate in the frigid cold of the tundra to the scorching heat of the desert. We are excited to be working with such a progressive company as Ma’aden, which is dedicated to building the mines of the future whilst leading the way with action."

 

"This generation’s obligation to care for our planet’s needs whilst striving to provide for humankind calls for bold leadership and a commitment to make positive change on a grand scale. We are honored to take this journey together with Ma’aden," he added.

 

Senior VP (Safety, Sustainability & Innovation) Hamad Al Rashidi, said the mining industry had been lagging to fully unlock the capabilities of emerging technologies. 

 

"The world cannot afford for the mining industry to continue to operate legacy mining methods that put humans in harsh operational environments and unnecessarily move millions of tonnes of waste material," stated Al Rashidi. 

 

"Ma’aden intends to lead the way by leveraging technological advancement in robotics and Artificial Intelligence to achieve fully autonomous mining," he added.-TradeArabia News Service