Australian Droid and Robot, or ADR, has announced “significant” backing from Resource Capital Funds’ (RCF) mining innovation focused investment strategy RCF Innovation II.

The funding will help ADR t0 scale up and advance its new Explora Remote Data Acquisition System (ERDAS), which ADR claims will save the average mine site two or more hours of daily production time, reducing costs by A$13 million ($8.5 million) a year, significantly reducing carbon footprint and preventing workers from being exposed to fatal or critical risks.

Designed to seamlessly integrate into existing mine infrastructure, the system will enhance ADR’s existing Explora XL Robot’s data acquisition abilities by allowing it to remain permanently underground, preventing the need for it to be retrieved for data uploads, recharging and maintenance, the company says.

Ten ADR Explora XL unmanned robots, alongside a Rajant wireless Kinetic Mesh below-ground communication network with PBE hardware and technology, were previously used to navigate a horizontal mobile infrastructure distance of 1.7 km as part of a mine inspection at one of the US’ largest underground room and pillar limestone mining operations. The mine had suffered a significant pillar and roof collapse.

As part of RCF’s backing, ADR is to receive strategic guidance from Lyle Bruce who led and successfully commercialised Groundprobe, a company highly renowned for its mining slope monitoring.

ADR concluded: “Thanks to the funding and support, we plan to launch our Explora Remote Data Acquisition System to the market in the first quarter of 2025.”