ARLYX autonomous underground material handling: design and retrofit notes for mines Reviewed by Tom Sullivan First reported on International Mining – News 30 Second Briefing Canadian company ARLYX Technologies has unveiled what it calls the first complete, fully electric autonomous material-handling system purpose-built for underground mines, developed over two years in Quebec and trialled under production conditions at a Tier 1 operation. The package integrates battery-electric haul units with autonomous navigation and loading, targeting fully driverless tramming and transfer between drawpoints, orepasses and crushers. A public technology demonstration is scheduled at the Mining Transformed event from 25–27 May 2026, giving operators a chance to assess retrofit potential and infrastructure requirements. Technical Brief - System architecture appears modular, allowing haul units to be swapped or scaled without redesigning mine layouts. - Battery-electric configuration removes diesel exhaust constraints, potentially relaxing ventilation design and fan duty in headings. - Autonomous tramming between drawpoints and crushers implies precise localisation in GPS-denied headings, likely using LIDAR and beacons. - Purpose-built underground design suggests low-profile chassis and tight turning radii for narrow drifts and crosscuts. - Integration focus is on end-to-end material flow automation, not just isolated autonomous trucks or loaders. - Retrofit emphasis means compatibility with existing orepasses and crusher inlets, avoiding major civil modifications. - For other underground mining operations, such systems could shift bottlenecks from haulage to crushing or hoisting capacity. Our Take For underground operators in Europe pursuing low-emission ‘green fleets’ such as Boliden’s copper, nickel and zinc operations, a complete autonomous material handling package from a Quebec developer could be a near-term bolt-on to electrified fleets rather than a full fleet replacement decision. Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team. Related Articles Related Industries &