[Rockhounds] Robots are the newest mining technology

[Kreigh Tomaszewski]

The largest truck in the world is about to become the largest robotic 
vehicle in the world.  Computer scientists from Carnegie Mellon 
University have teamed up with engineers from Caterpillar to automate 
the 700-ton trucks, which are made to haul loads up to 240 tons from 
mines.

That's nearly two million pounds of metal, fuel and stone powered by a 
3,550-horsepower, 24-valve engine moving at up to 42 miles per hour, 
with software and a robot at the wheel.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/11/06/monster-robot-truck.html