Sandvik introduces autonomous electric concept drill for the future of surface mining

Unveiled at Sandvik’s Future of Mining event in Tampere, Finland under the persona Sami, the company’s latest concept machine showcases how AI, enhanced robotics, electrification and digital connectivity can work together as part of an intelligent, mine-wide operating system to improve safety and productivity.

“For years, Sandvik has helped define the future of underground mining through automation, electrification and digital technologies that have fundamentally changed how mines operate,” said Patrick Murphy, President Mining at Sandvik. “Our latest concept brings that same ambition to surface operations. By challenging conventional ways of working, we’re helping to create the next generation of safer, more productive, more reliable and increasingly autonomous mines.”

Built on a boom-drill platform, the concept machine has no operator cabin and operates fully autonomously. It carries its own drill bits, collar pipes and down-the-hole hammers onboard, while an integrated robotic manipulator autonomously performs bit changes, installs collar pipes and replaces hammers.

It can also measure hole depth and deviation after drilling, navigate autonomously through the mine environment and continuously adapt its behavior by identifying, tracking and classifying people, equipment and other objects around it. This enables the machine to distinguish between dynamic and stationary obstacles and respond accordingly. LED matrix displays communicate the machine's operational status to personnel working nearby.

The concept also introduces a new level of mine-wide intelligence. Connected to a continuously updated digital twin, Sami is managed through Sandi, Sandvik's AI agent. Sandi assigns drilling tasks and coordinates activities across the broader mining fleet, while Sami autonomously plans and executes its work cycle, adapting to nearby equipment and changing site conditions. Operators interact with Sandi using natural language, intervening only when human judgement is required.

In developing the concept, Sandvik looked beyond individual features to explore how electrification, autonomous operation, robotic tool handling and digital integration could be combined into a single system.

Sandvik’s latest concept machine continues the company’s tradition of challenging conventional equipment design and exploring what technologies come next for mining. Beginning with its AutoMine® Concept Loader in 2020, Sandvik has introduced a series of concept platforms spanning underground and surface mining applications, each serving as a proving ground for emerging technologies before they are incorporated into commercial solutions. Rather than being production machines themselves, these concepts are intended to accelerate the development of innovations that ultimately enhance the safety, productivity and sustainability of Sandvik’s commercial equipment portfolio.

Riku Pulli, President of Digital Mining Technologies at Sandvik, said the greatest innovation lies not in the concept machine itself, but in its integration into an intelligent mining ecosystem.

“By combining AI, autonomy and a continuously updated digital twin, we move from optimizing individual assets to optimizing the entire mining operation,” Pulli said. “That’s where the next step change in productivity and decision-making will come from. Sami is a concept rather than a product, but the technologies behind it are very real. Many of the capabilities being demonstrated today will help shape the evolution of our offering and find their way into future solutions for surface mining customers.”

Although demonstrated on a boom-drill platform, the technologies embodied in the concept machine are intended to be scalable across the wider Sandvik surface drilling portfolio, including rotary blasthole drills. Sandvik has developed the concept to stimulate conversation and collaboration with customers and industry stakeholders while accelerating the development of future commercial solutions for surface mining.

For further information, please contact:
Annukka Kokkonen
Manager, Excavation and RTD Projects
Sandvik Mining
Email: annukka.kokkonen@sandvik.com