Remote Operations Move Into High-Risk Industrial Sites
The Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions is testing a remote-control technology for industrial, construction, and logistics equipment at the Sirius federal territory, with prototype systems currently undergoing trials on operating port cranes.
Operators control mining haul trucks, excavators, port cranes, and other industrial equipment through a high-speed communications link. The system combines a digital onboard control package, high-resolution cameras that provide continuous video streaming, and a remote operator workstation, allowing machinery to be controlled from a safe location.
For outdated equipment, the proposed approach calls for retrofitting machines with servo motors and redundant actuators. These additions physically manipulate existing control levers and pedals, allowing older fleets to be modernized without replacing the equipment itself. That makes it possible to standardize mixed fleets while transitioning gradually toward fully automated operations.
The technology is expected to find its greatest value in mining, remote construction projects, Arctic ports, deep underground mines, and other hazardous industrial environments. It is currently in the engineering development stage. Industry experts see significant potential for reducing direct human involvement in high-risk operations. At a national level, the technology could lower the cost of deploying personnel in Russia's Far North, accelerate infrastructure projects, and improve productivity across mining operations. Perhaps most importantly, it lays the groundwork for digital mines in which operators supervise equipment fleets operating simultaneously at multiple remote sites.
Technical Requirements and Operational Challenges
Commercial deployment will require several critical capabilities, including reliable broadband connectivity, redundant communications channels, cybersecurity protection, and an automatic fail-safe mode if communications are interrupted. The system must also compensate for video latency, poor visibility, low temperatures, vibration, and potential failures affecting cameras or control actuators.
In practice, the most viable approach is likely to combine remote operation with autonomous functions. Machines would navigate predetermined routes and perform routine tasks independently, while remote operators intervene only when non-routine situations arise.
The Road Toward Autonomous Mining
A useful point of comparison comes from Kazakhstan's Vostochny open-pit mine, where autonomous haul truck operations began nearly two years ago. The mine is owned by Eurasian Energy Corporation JSC, part of ERG. Implementing the project, however, required more than seven years of preparation. Robotic systems expertise was provided by BTS Mining Company LLP, ERG's in-house IT company. LTE communications networks were deployed to support dispatching across the haul truck fleet, although network capacity required continuous expansion as the project evolved.
Introducing autonomous mining equipment required a complete transformation of production workflows and became a test of the operation's digital maturity. The mine experienced temporary production interruptions while haul trucks were removed from service for retrofitting. By the spring of 2024, the first three autonomous trucks had entered pilot operation. The dispatch center has been staffed with just two employees – an operator and a service engineer. Even as the autonomous fleet expands, those same personnel are expected to supervise additional vehicles without fundamentally changing the staffing model.
Another notable example comes from Nornickel, which began testing an autonomous underground haul truck at its Skalisty mine in 2021. The initiative formed part of the company's Technological Breakthrough 2.0 program.
Between 2022 and 2023, KAMAZ developed its Jupiter family of robotic mining trucks, designed to operate without conventional driver cabs or onboard operators. In 2023, the 27-ton-payload Jupiter 30 autonomous mining truck was presented as one of Russia's next-generation transport platforms.
Global experience shows that autonomous haulage can improve productivity by 15-20%, reduce fuel consumption by 10-15%, lower tire wear by 5-15%, and cut maintenance costs by approximately 8%. Over the next several years, the market is likely to evolve toward a hybrid operating model in which equipment performs routine tasks autonomously while a single remote operator supervises multiple machines and intervenes only when complex situations require human judgment.
