Overview
Hexagon Mining is part of Hexagon AB, a global technology company headquartered in Sweden, and provides mining technology solutions covering fleet management, collision avoidance, and mine planning.
OP Pro traces its origins to the world’s first fleet management system, developed in 1981 by Jon Olson at Modular Mining Systems. Olson later co-founded Jigsaw Technologies, which was acquired by Hexagon and rebranded as OP Pro [1].
OP Pro
OP Pro is Hexagon’s open pit fleet management system.
- Real-time GPS positioning of all tracked equipment
- Calculates and displays optimal haul routes in the operator cab
- Uses common hardware components shared across Hexagon systems
- Integrates with MinePlan for short-interval control
- Integrates with HxGN MineProtect CAS for collision avoidance
- Supports equipment integration with on-board sensors and PLCs
OP Foundation
OP Foundation is a fleet management system designed for smaller operations.
- Tablet-based data collection
- Quick to deploy with minimal infrastructure
- Tracks equipment states and movements
- Does not require a mature site-wide network
- Scales by adding apps as the operation grows
UG Pro
UG Pro is Hexagon’s underground fleet management system.
- Tablet-based interface
- Works in mines without continuous data networks using store-and-forward communication
- Workflow management and run-time fleet statistics
- Reporting engine with scenario modelling
- Integrates with MinePlan UG for schedule-to-field task communication
- No native geo-location
- No equipment integration
HxGN MineProtect
HxGN MineProtect is Hexagon’s safety platform. As of early 2025, Hexagon has 65,000 collision avoidance systems deployed at more than 100 open-pit and underground mine sites worldwide [2].
Collision Avoidance System (CAS)
Proximity detection and operator alerts for surface and underground equipment, with 360-degree awareness and path prediction algorithms.
Operator Alertness System (OAS)
Computer vision AI that detects operator fatigue and distraction in real-time, delivering audible and vibratory alerts [3].
Vehicle Intervention System (VIS)
Level 9 system that intervenes on a truck’s propulsion system if the operator does not respond to CAS or OAS warnings [4].
MinePlan
MinePlan is Hexagon’s mine planning and geology package, connecting planning data to operational systems like OP Pro and UG Pro.
Recent Developments
Hexagon acquired indurad and its autonomous haulage subsidiary xtonomy in November 2024 [5]. indurad is a German company specialising in radar-based monitoring (1D, 2D, and 3D radars) and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS). xtonomy provides an OEM-agnostic autonomy platform for mobile machine automation.
Hexagon partnered with Mineral Resources (MinRes) to deploy 120 fully autonomous Kenworth road trains at the Onslow Iron project in Western Australia. In April 2022, they demonstrated a world-first triple-trailer autonomous platoon hauling 300 tonnes of iron ore [6].
Sources
- Commanding the mine fleet with OP Pro — Hexagon Blog
- Mine safety: a resolution that never gets old — Hexagon Mining Blog (Jan 2025)
- HxGN MineProtect Operator Alertness System — Hexagon
- HxGN Autonomous Mining Vehicle Intervention System — Hexagon
- Hexagon accelerates shift to autonomous mines with indurad acquisition (Nov 2024)
- Hexagon equips world’s first fully autonomous road trains (2023)