Roberts are replacing human miners in Western Australia's remote Pilbara region in an effort to meet growing demand for iron ore and other minerals, writes The Australian newspaper.
A wide array of ground mining is being replaced with robotic equipment, including a shift to autonomous vehicles which perform a range of tasks from explosives to transportation.
Fewer young people entering the mining profession has also caused the growth in robot use, according to the paper.
The move could prove lucrative for the country as mining companies dramatically increase production, with demand from China in particular driving robotics research.
Australia's Commonwealth and Scientific Research Organisation (CSIRO) is currently developing autonomous drills, haulage trucks and machines that can move along underground coal seams extracting ore.
Global mining companies such as Rio Tinto are also looking into using robots and driverless trains that can haul ore from mine sites and production plants to shipping terminals.
By staff writer
