The Solntsevsky coal mine on Russia’s Sakhalin Island has introduced a digital dispatch assistant that acts as a virtual foreman for its mining fleet. Nicknamed “Petrovich,” the AI system assigns routes to haul truck drivers, receives spoken reports on refueling and equipment failures, and even helps excavator operators optimize every loading cycle.
At the heart of the system is a live digital map of the open pit, where every piece of mobile equipment is tracked in real time. Each bucket movement is automatically logged, while haul roads are continuously monitored and color-coded according to traffic flow. If a section begins to slow down, dispatchers are immediately alerted and can send a grader to restore road conditions.
The platform also builds a detailed performance profile for every excavator during each shift. It records the number of trucks loaded, the duration of every loading cycle, and which haul truck operators achieve the highest productivity with a particular excavator. The AI goes beyond collecting statistics. It analyzes excavation techniques and can detect unnecessary swing movements by an operator, recommending a more efficient boom trajectory or a different digging sequence to reduce cycle times.
Haul truck drivers interact with the system through a voice interface. A tablet inside the cab announces which excavator to report to and where to deliver the coal. Drivers respond verbally, confirming assignments or explaining delays. Phrases such as “Petrovich, log downtime: refueling” have become part of everyday operations, giving the AI assistant a surprisingly human role on site.
Fleet balancing is handled by a separate optimization engine. It collects telemetry from across the mine and recalculates equipment assignments every five seconds. If a queue begins to form at one excavator, the system automatically redirects the nearest available haul truck to another loading unit with lower utilization, reducing idle time without requiring dispatcher intervention.
The Solntsevsky operation has effectively become a testing ground where the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), voice technologies, and predictive analytics work together as a single digital dispatcher. While its name may be simple, the results are measurable: higher productivity, fewer empty haul cycles, and more efficient fleet utilization.
Source: @Coala_russia
Image: East Mining Company (VGK)
