AI at the Edge: Smarter, Safer Trucks 700 Meters Underground
The FREEPORT project demonstrates that robust edge AI can operate 700 meters underground, marking a major step toward smarter and safer mining through real-time onboard intelligence.
Swedish researchers and industry partners have demonstrated that robust edge AI can operate 700 meters underground, marking a major step toward smarter and safer mining. The FREEPORT project, a Vinnova-funded collaboration between RISE, Boliden, Volvo Group, Stream Analyze, AI Sweden, and Halmstad University, set out to push AI beyond the lab and into one of the harshest industrial environments imaginable.
The Demonstration
The demo was focused on monitoring vehicles in the mine with respect to energy consumption and safety measures. In June 2025, in a live test at Boliden’s mine, an electric truck equipped with onboard AI monitored how energy was consumed on the descent, regenerated on the ascent, and affected by driving style, all processed in real time at the edge, not in the cloud.
Key Findings
The demonstration showed that machine-learning models can be deployed, updated, and validated directly on industrial machines, dramatically shortening development cycles. It also highlighted how secure data sharing and interoperable standards, such as MQTT and Sparkplug B, enable seamless collaboration across partners.
Future Implications
FREEPORT’s success points toward a future where electrification, connectivity, and edge intelligence reshape heavy industry, improving safety, efficiency, and sustainability deep below the surface.
