whirrwork

Mining & Tunneling

Autonomous drilling

Autonomous blast hole and production drills.

People ask for this as: “autonomous drill rig”

How it works

Robots used

  • Autonomous Drill

Ways to buy it

  • Service — you pay for the outcome (one inspection, one show, X acres).
  • Purchase Buy the robot (plus software and service plans, usually).
  • Raas — a subscription covering robot, software and support.

Bot or Not?

A robot makes sense when…

  • The job is high, dangerous, or hard to reach
  • It is huge or repetitive (acres, nights, square metres)
  • You need data you will compare over time
  • You need eyes on it right now

Hire a human when…

  • It is small, low and one-off
  • It needs hands, judgement or a repair
  • Weather, permits or timing make robots awkward
  • Nobody has defined the job yet

Here's the catch for this job

  • Autonomy retrofits on existing fleets can be cheaper than new trucks.
  • Underground drones need non-GPS navigation (LiDAR SLAM).

Rules of thumb, not a sales pitch. Take the Ladder Test →

What it costs

Published ranges, each with a receipt. Not quotes: your price depends on scope, location and date. older price = 18+ months.

No published prices yet. We only show prices we can link to a source, and we haven't found one for this yet. Requesting quotes is the fastest way to find out, and every request helps us map the real market.

Price history

No price observations yet.

What to specify and ask

Put these in your request and you'll get a real price instead of "it depends":

  1. Mine type (open pit/underground)
  2. Location
  3. Scope (haulage, mapping, inspection)
  4. Existing fleet
  5. Duration
  6. Safety standards

Rules and regulation

Mine safety regulators (MSHA in US, state regulators in Australia) govern autonomous equipment; intrinsically safe equipment may be required.

General information, not legal advice. Rules change; ask the operator which permits they hold and verify them.

Providers who do this

Epiroc

🇸🇪 SE Serves global

Swedish mining equipment maker with autonomous drill rigs.

  • Purchase
  • 2 jobs
  • Oct 25, 2026

Want real numbers for your job?

One form. We match you with providers who cover your country and forward it. Free.

Request quotes for autonomous drilling