Fully assembled unmanned mining trucks are shipped to Thailand. (Photo provided by the CAS Institute of Automation)
SCG, the CAS Institute of Automation, WAYTOUS, AIS, Huawei and Yutong reach a joint agreement. (Photo provided by the CAS Institute of Automation)
Under the scorching sun in Thailand's Saraburi Province, a cement mining area buzzes with activity as heavy mining trucks shuttle back and forth. At this seemingly traditional site, a technological revolution is quietly unfolding: Unmanned mining trucks navigate with precision, while a remote operation center's large data screen controls the entire site in real time. This is by no means a sci-fi blockbuster or a virtual future; it is the reality of 2024.
In early 2023, the arrival of a Chinese team brought seemingly surreal changes to this Thai mine. They were not there to mine, but to "move mountains," just like the Foolish Old Man from the well-known Chinese fable. This "mountain mover" is the YUKON parallel mining operating system, independently developed by the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Six-party Collaboration and Joint Development of Standards
The cooperation began with the transformation needs of Siam Cement Group (SCG), a century-old Thai industrial giant. SCG was grappling with high risks, high costs and low efficiency in its operations. That was when China's smart YUKON system caught their attention. Powered by AI large models, the system can achieve fully autonomous operations in core parts of the mining process, offering SCG a complete solution.
Thanks to the promotion of the CAS Innovation Cooperation Center (Bangkok) in 2022, SCG, the CAS Institute of Automation, WAYTOUS, AIS, Huawei and Yutong reached a six-party joint agreement. A common understanding became the cornerstone of the project: This is not about simply exporting a machine, but about exporting an entire "smart brain" solution.
However, transplanting China's "smart brain" to Thailand was no easy feat. In the initial phase of the project, the Chinese and Thai teams faced a series of challenges in integration across cultures, standards and technological systems. Issues like "mining truck communication delays exceeding standard thresholds," "difficulty localizing AI training data," and "conflicts between Thai operational procedures and algorithm logic" emerged. Engineers from both countries held numerous meetings, repeatedly adjusted parameters, ran simulations, and conducted dozens of on-site tests. Through this process, they gradually achieved a precise alignment between the AI system and the real-world mining environment.
In early 2024, the first batch of unmanned mining trucks drove into the mining area, marking the official completion of the smart mine jointly built by Chinese technological personnel and the SCG team. This represents the first large-scale application of multiple technologies, including AI, large models and autonomous driving, in Thailand. SCG International General Manager Jirapat Janjerdsak stated: "What we needed wasn't simply equipment upgrades, but a 'smart brain' capable of bringing revolutionary change. China's AI technology has shown us the possibility of achieving a mine with 'zero casualty, high efficiency and low emissions.'"
The Mine's Smart Rebirth Thanks to "AI Miners" and the "Strongest Brain"
Mining trucks weighing dozens of tonnes shuttle tirelessly and orderly through the pit, day and night, while drivers calmly operate them remotely from cool, comfortable control centers. This is the daily scene at the Saraburi mine. From excavators to mining trucks, from power monitoring to transport routes, the YUKON system orchestrates the operation of all equipment across the entire mine. AI makes decisions in milliseconds based on real-time data, optimizing the configuration for every single vehicle and ensuring every second is spent efficiently.
Yutong pure electric mining trucks, equipped with the YUKON system, transform into tireless "AI miners." They no longer rely on human drivers, autonomously performing precise navigation, automatic loading and unloading, and obstacle avoidance. This fundamentally breaks the limitations of manual operation, allowing each truck to operate an additional two hours per shift and boosting overall efficiency by 16%. Concurrently, the on-site workforce is directly reduced by 50%, saving the mine nearly a million Thai baht annually in labor costs alone, significantly easing the operational burden.
Interface of the YUKON autonomous driving system (Photo provided by the CAS Institute of Automation)
The environmental benefits are equally significant. While the use of pure electric vehicles already substantially reduces carbon emissions, the AI's precise autonomous driving algorithms further optimize vehicle start/stop timing, driving paths and speeds. This avoids common energy waste from manual operation such as sudden acceleration and idling, reducing overall power consumption by 20%. By minimizing energy waste and lowering carbon emissions, the project injects technological momentum into the mine's green and low-carbon development.
The implementation of this project aligns with Thailand's "Bio-Circular-Green" strategy and has garnered attention from Thai government bodies including those responsible for technology and communications, as well as companies like SCG and AIS. It has also been included in the demonstration project library of the CAS Innovation Cooperation Center (Bangkok), a China-Thailand high-level science and technology cooperation platform, laying a solid foundation for its future expansion into industrial parks, logistics bases and other scenarios. The project's "smart and green" label also enhances SCG's image as a traditional industrial giant embracing modern technology. The group has expressed its desire to replicate this model across multiple mines.
Ongoing Collaboration from Smart Mines to Future Cities
The Saraburi smart mine in Thailand represents the first full-process autonomous driving project for Chinese AI technology "going global." It not only demonstrates the technological prowess of the CAS Institute of Automation, but also shows Chinese tech companies a new path for international expansion: not only exporting products, but also exporting integrated standards and technologies.
As a driving force behind the project, the CAS Innovation Cooperation Center (Bangkok) serves as a crucial hub for the CAS to carry out international scientific and technological innovation cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Since its establishment in 2017, it has facilitated over 70 international technology and business cooperation projects, generating a total direct investment of 1.8 billion yuan in Thailand and driving overall economic benefits of 3 billion yuan. It has also fostered cooperation between China and Thailand in multiple fields, including microbial technology, rail transit and plasma technology, building an international sci-tech cooperation platform that encompasses project incubation, standards output and talent exchanges.
As Thailand's leading 5G network provider, AIS sees vast potential for further deepening cooperation stemming from the smart mine project. Asnee Wipatawate, senior vice president of the group, said: "The SCG project has validated the immense potential of 5G+AI in complex industrial scenarios. We look forward to using this as a starting point to jointly explore more industry applications with the CAS Institute of Automation, and to expand this 'smart solution' into broader areas such as smart logistics and smart industrial parks, collectively driving the smart transformation of Thailand's industries."
The overseas success of YUKON vividly illustrates how Chinese AI can transcend national borders to create core value in safety, environmental sustainability and efficiency for partners. As the project has become fully operational and showcased its effectiveness, its demonstrative effect is rapidly spreading, forming a new Silk Road paved by AI. (By Xu Yuan)
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