UK’s MMD Partners with CiDi to Launch China’s Autonomous Haul System Globally

April 21 — A UK-based manufacturer specializing in innovative material processing equipment has partnered with a Chinese company to incorporate its advanced autonomous technology into mining operations worldwide.

The Chinese firm will supply self-driving hardware and software for the UK’s TraxIQ material handling platform, including sensing and computing systems, along with retrofit kits designed to retrofit existing mining equipment to operate autonomously, a spokesperson for the UK company revealed yesterday. The UK firm will oversee the platform’s global commercialization and deployment efforts.

One key factor in choosing a partner was the ability of the autonomous technology to reliably operate in the demanding and diverse environments typical of mining sites, fully integrate with current operations, and support the transition process most mines undergo, the spokesperson explained.

“Mining operations don’t switch from traditional to fully autonomous overnight,” they emphasized. “They are ongoing adaptations, often constrained by site layout, connectivity, infrastructure, and legacy systems.”

“This partnership creates a foundation for ongoing collaboration as the TraxIQ platform moves towards deployment and commercialization worldwide,” stated a representative from the Chinese company.

The Chinese company’s flagship product, MetaMine, is the first fully autonomous, system-level solution tailored for mining operations. It combines driverless trucks, a fleet coordination system, a central dispatch platform, and a teleoperation station for remote excavator control within a unified haulage system.

MetaMine was tested at a northwest China open-pit coal mine owned by a major energy conglomerate. Within just two months of initial trial runs in early 2024, 56 autonomous trucks operated alongside around 500 conventional vehicles without on-site safety personnel, making it the world’s largest mixed-autonomy mining fleet.

The company delivered over 1,500 autonomous mining trucks across China in the first half of the previous year, generating revenue of approximately CNY 408 million (around USD 59.9 million). Its annual revenue for 2024 exceeded CNY 410 million.

Provider of Technology, Not Operating Equipment

The Chinese firm positions itself as a provider of autonomous driving technologies rather than a manufacturer of vehicles or a mine operator, according to statements made to this news outlet. They collaborate with original equipment manufacturers for factory-installed solutions and extend this approach to existing fleets through the new partnership, they added.

“Our focus is solely on delivering core autonomous driving products and related technical expertise,” the company clarified. “We do not operate mines or compete with clients or their equipment suppliers for operational gains. The retrofit kits are intended for mine operators wishing to upgrade current fleets without purchasing entirely new machinery.”

Data Management and Security

The UK manufacturer noted that transparency and control over operational data are crucial for their clients, especially those in regions like Australia, Africa, and the Americas, which have strict data residency and cybersecurity standards.

“This involves clear policies on data location, access rights, and security measures,” they stated. “Data governance specifics will be tailored to each project, complying with local regulations and customer requirements, often involving local data hosting and controlled access environments.”

“Trust in data management is essential for adoption,” they emphasized, asserting that data governance should be an integral part of the deployment framework rather than an afterthought.

Mining Isn’t Just a Digital Playground

As AI advances draw tech companies toward industrial automation, this firm has differentiated its approach from software-focused competitors, explaining how mining’s unique needs shape its technology.

“The strengths of Silicon Valley’s AI companies are mainly in developing large models for broad applications,” they said. “Mining, however, is a highly specialized, rigorous industrial environment where safety, reliability, real-time response, and efficiency are non-negotiable requirements.”

The company features a multimodal sensor suite designed to function amid dust, extreme temperatures, and heavy loads, along with a proprietary in-house developed world model specific to mining operations. It also holds patents related to perception, scheduling, and vehicle-to-everything communications.

“Mining is not a playground for AI experimentation,” they stressed. “It’s a complex ecosystem that combines technology, engineering, business, and operational processes.”