LoopX has signed a three-year research and development partnership with Vale Base Metals (VBM) to develop and validate next-generation artificial intelligence technologies for underground mining, with a focus on improving safety, productivity and autonomous operations.
The collaboration marks LoopX’s largest publicly announced customer agreement since its partnership with mining contractor Cementation in 2024. The companies will work together to develop Physical AI technologies that combine artificial intelligence, computer vision, LiDAR and radio frequency (RF) technologies to create intelligent mining systems capable of understanding their surroundings, making decisions and continuously learning from real operating environments.
LoopX CEO and Founder Chao Yu said the partnership represents a significant milestone for the company.
“Together, we’re developing and validating Physical AI technologies that improve safety, enhance productivity and lay the foundation for the next generation of intelligent and autonomous mining,” Yu said.
Vale Base Metals will deploy the technology at its underground operations in Sudbury, Ontario, where it will support collision avoidance, improve operational efficiency and enable greater levels of production autonomy.
The LoopX platform integrates Vision AI, LiDAR and RF technologies into a single safety solution, providing 360-degree hazard detection, proactive warnings and automatic intervention in challenging underground and surface mining environments.
Vale Base Metals said artificial intelligence is transforming the mining industry and that the partnership reflects its commitment to adopting emerging technologies that improve worker safety and operational performance while supporting the responsible production of critical minerals.
Chief Technology Officer Chris McCleave said the company is not only supplying critical minerals for the AI industry but is also applying AI technologies within its own operations to become more agile, cost-competitive and better positioned for long-term growth.
Among the technologies being introduced is the LoopX Collision Avoidance System (CAS), which uses thermal vision, 3D LiDAR and edge AI computing to detect people, equipment and other hazards around mining vehicles, including untagged objects. Another solution, LoadSight, uses AI, 3D LiDAR and night-vision cameras to monitor truck and load-haul-dump performance, measure load volumes and generate real-time productivity reports.
According to LoopX Head of Systems Development Connor Hamstra, the partnership will support the industry’s transition from collision avoidance to supervised autonomy and eventually coordinated autonomous fleets that work together to maximise both safety and productivity. He noted that collision avoidance is only the first step towards the next generation of autonomous mining operations.