Technology / Operating model
02
Harnec starts with remote operation. The proposed system connects equipment, controls, sensing, and task records. Each layer is a concept to develop and validate.
Context image / Underground mine access / Stock imagery
System layers / 01 / 04
Remote presence
Teleoperation comes first. The operator stays in charge through a remote workstation that brings together video, sensor data, communications, and machine state.
Design principle: keep human authority explicit.
Mixed fleet
Not every task needs a new machine. Harnec's proposed fleet combines purpose-built robots with conventional equipment where a retrofit makes sense. Both would use shared controls and operating rules.
Design question: build new or adapt what already exists?
Fleet coordination
A robot is only one part of the operation. Operators need a fleet-wide view of task state, machine health, interventions, and completed work. Harnec intends to make those records part of the system from the start.
Design principle: every task should leave a clear record.
Earned autonomy
Use autonomy only for bounded, repeatable tasks with a known state, defined limits, and a clear return to human control. The goal is not autonomy everywhere. It is the right authority for the task.
Design principle: bounded, validated, and reversible.
Application zones / Illustrative
These are possible starting points for the operating model, selected for the questions they raise about distance, control, and repeatability.
AZ-01
Remote observation and repeatable data capture in difficult work areas.
AZ-02
Machine-assisted movement where task boundaries can be made explicit.
AZ-03
Coordinated equipment movement with remote intervention available.
AZ-04
Purpose-designed machines entering zones where human distance matters most.
Conceptual application zones / Illustrative
Control doctrine / Thesis