{"id":6322,"date":"2025-05-22T18:42:59","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T22:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.hexagonmining.com\/?p=6322"},"modified":"2025-09-24T16:04:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T20:04:00","slug":"hexagon-and-um-on-the-pathway-to-autonomous-haulage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.hexagonmining.com\/en\/hexagon-and-um-on-the-pathway-to-autonomous-haulage\/","title":{"rendered":"Hexagon and U&M on the pathway to autonomous haulage"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Savannah Hicks<\/p>\n

As mines become more technologically advanced the demand for autonomous vehicles is increasing, but this demand need not be met by the financial and environmental burden of purchasing brand new heavy machinery. By retrofitting new technologies onto existing equipment, mining companies can save massive costs while also helping them reach sustainability goals. Hexagon\u2019s partnership with U&M Minera\u00e7\u00e3o e Constru\u00e7\u00e3o S\/A<\/a> to develop an OEM-agnostic autonomous haulage solution (AHS) is bringing autonomous operations to mines without creating the demand to purchase new assets.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe project we are doing with U&M is extremely disruptive,\u201d said Rodrigo Couto, President \u2013 LATAM, Hexagon\u2019s Mining division. \u201cIt meets a very large demand for autonomy in mining, which is basically transforming equipment that is already acquired into autonomous equipment without the need to buy a new truck.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Hexagon Collision Avoidance System (CAS) installed on vehicle<\/p><\/div>\n

As the largest native open-pit mining contractor in the Americas, U&M is set to bring scalable OEM-agnostic autonomous haulage to mine sites all over the world with Hexagon\u2019s help.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith our great knowledge of the equipment and Hexagon\u2019s great knowledge of the technology, we can produce an excellent product that will soon be available on the market,\u201d said Sergio Machado, CEO, U&M. \u201cWe\u2019re really looking forward to it.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“As we understand that the future of mining is electric and autonomous, we saw Hexagon’s ability to integrate high-performance software to manage these assets, and this opportunity to integrate our equipment automation project with Hexagon’s project for an autonomous mine,” added Maur\u00edcio Casara, Commercial and New Technologies Director, U&M.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Exactly how is Hexagon helping to enable autonomous haulage? A stack of our integrated technologies is driving this innovation, including Hexagon Collision Avoidance System (CAS)<\/a>, Hexagon Personal Alert<\/a>, radar\u2014which integrates perception systems\u2014and the Hexagon Core Box<\/a>, which brings Hexagon Mission Manager<\/a> and its dispatch systems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watch the video below to hear directly from U&M and Hexagon team members about how this technology is impacting the mining industry and what makes this partnership successful.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n