Real-Time Positioning for Safe, Intelligent Mining With Boliden and LKAB | NXP Semiconductors

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Real-Time Positioning for Safe, Intelligent Mining With Boliden and LKAB

Centimeter-Level Precision, 1,420 Meters Below the Surface

In mining environments, space is limited and conditions are unforgiving. Narrow tunnels, heavy machinery and constant movement leave no margin for error — especially when people and machines need to operate in close proximity. Without GPS, maintaining accurate, real-time awareness of every worker and vehicle becomes a critical challenge.

To address this, Boliden — owner and operator of the Kristineberg mine — is working together with mining company LKAB and NXP to explore a real-time location system (RTLS) for underground mining operations. The system uses ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to track the position of workers and machines with centimeter-level accuracy, even in complex, high-interference environments — supporting situational awareness and helping reduce collision risks.

At the core of the solution is NXP’s Trimension SR048 platform, which integrates high- precision ranging, secure communication and real-time processing into a single, application-ready system. The result: rapid safety responses and accurate positioning that enable the shift toward autonomous mining operations.

Featured in This Video

Trimension SR048 Image

Trimension SR048

Trimension SR048: Industrial‑Grade UWB SoC for High‑Precision RTLS

Key Highlights

Key Highlights

Real-Time Positioning and Spatial Awareness: A UWB-based Safety RTLS enables continuous, high-precision tracking of workers and vehicles, providing a shared, real- time view of the environment for safer and more efficient operations.
Predictive Collision Avoidance: Continuous distance monitoring between people and equipment enables early risk detection and triggers automated safety responses when minimum safety thresholds are exceeded.
Centimeter-Level UWB Accuracy: UWB technology delivers precise ranging and positioning, maintaining accuracy even in environments with signal reflections and limited line-of-sight.
Safety-Compliant System Architecture: Designed with fault detection and automatic recovery mechanisms, the system ensures reliable operation in safety-critical environments.
Industrial grade reliability: The hardware is designed to operate across temperatures from -40°C to 115°C, while maintaining performance under dust, vibration, and continuous operation.
Standards-based safety interoperability: Real-time positions of vehicles and workers are shared thought an omlox hub interface, providing interoperability across different RTLS platform vendors.

Knowledge Base

Knowledge Base

Trimension SR048

NXP's industrial-grade UWB SoC supporting multiple ranging modes (TDoA, ToF) for high-precision, real-time location accuracy in complex industrial environments. Designed for harsh conditions with a wide operating temperature range and redundant safety architecture.

UWB Real-Time Location System (RTLS)

A network of UWB anchors and tags that continuously measures the position of people and vehicles, enabling live tracking throughout the mine. Supports immediate safety responses such as proximity alerts and emergency braking even in harsh environments.

omlox Standard

An open real-time localization standard that enables interoperability across tracking technologies and solutions from different vendors.

Learn More

Learn More

Advanding Real-Time Industrial Positioning

Trimension SR048: IndustrialGrade UWB SoC for High-Precision RTLS

Enabling high precision tags and anchors

Supporting Information

omlox Starter Kit: Developed in collaboration with SynchronitIT and Flowcate