Key insights
- Rio Tinto's Gudai-Darri iron ore mine achieved its planned annual capacity of 43 million tonnes in under 12 months using site digitalisation and site-wide automation, with incremental upgrades underway toward 50 Mtpa.
- Drone-based LiDAR and photogrammetry surveys generate high-precision 3D terrain models over 20 times faster than traditional ground methods, reducing survey duration from days to 1–3 hours.
- AI-driven fragmentation models and digital twin simulations cut mill energy consumption by 8% at Gold Fields' St Ives mine by eliminating primary crushing, while machine learning boundary algorithms reduced ore loss by 18%.
- Caterpillar’s July 2026 acquisition of Skycatch integrates high-frequency spatial point clouds directly into RPMGlobal planning and Cat MineStar fleet management systems, closing the loop between digital planning and physical execution.