Redefining the Lifecycle of Mine Waste
concept
Tailion is a screw-propelled autonomous vehicle envisioned as a ten-year ecosystem for tailings storage facilities. Built around a modular architecture and operated via remote supervision, it navigates extreme tailings terrain to carry out monitoring, maintenance, and mineral re-extraction, transforming one of mining's largest environmental liabilities into a profitable asset.
info
Umeå Institute of Design
Epiroc
2026
Nicolò Vincenzi
context
The trajectory of the mining industry is changing,
shaped by new economy trends.
Decarbonization, electrification, and digital infrastructures are redefining what the world needs from the ground.
Touchscreen
Indium
Tin
Silica
Aluminum
Yttrium
Europium
Logic Board
Silicon
Copper
Gold
Tantalum
Tin
Silver
Touchscreen
Indium
Tin
Silica
Aluminum
Yttrium
Europium
Logic Board
Silicon
Copper
Gold
Tantalum
Tin
Silver
Battery
Lithium
Cobalt
Graphite
Aluminum
Nickel
Manganese
Camera
Sapphire Crystal
Lanthanum
Gold
Silicon
Copper
Ceramic
Taptic Engine
Tungsten
Neodymium
Dysprosium
Copper
Iron
Cobalt
Speaker
Neodymium
Praseodymium
Gadolinium
Copper
Aluminum
Iron
Chassis
Aluminum
Magnesium
Titanium
Iron
Copper
Silica
Charger
Copper
Neodymium
Gold
Tin
Nickel
Silicon
Evolving our mineral requirements
Demand increase in the last 50y
The mining industry is unable to keep up with this accelerated demand
Strategic mineral demand is accelerating, but the mining industry is caught between two compounding failures: output from existing mines has plateaued, while new operations take longer and face harder barriers to approval. Together, these pressures are creating a structural supply deficit the industry cannot close with current approaches.
Current Policies
Sustainable Development
Closure & Rehabilitation is the most neglected step
- 1
8-10+ years
Exploration
- 2
10+ years
Assessment
- 3
1-3+ years
Development
- 4
10-30+ years
Operations
- 5
4-5+ years
Closure & Rehabilitation
Problem 01
Productivity is plateauting, forcing mines into hostile environments.
Declining ore grades
g/t ratio
Problem 02
Stakeholder opposition is delaying new mining operations.
As earth resources are progressively being depleted, mines need to excavate deeper and become more extreme to collect the same amount of minerals.
Problem 01
Productivity is plateauting, forcing mines into hostile environments.
Declining ore grades
g/t ratio
Problem 02
Stakeholder opposition is delaying new mining operations.
As earth resources are progressively being depleted, mines need to excavate deeper and become more extreme to collect the same amount of minerals.
Tailings are a major part in this issue
Tailings are a by-product of the metal and mineral extraction process, taking the form of a slurry made of fine metal, crushed rock and water.
Rock containing minerals and metals are mined from the earth and processed to separate the minerals and metals.
The mined rock is finely ground and mixed with water and sometimes chemicals to separate minerals and metals.
Once the desired minerals or metals are extracted from the finely ground rock, fines, the waste that remains is in the form of a slurry, known as tailings.
This slurry can be processed to a sand-like material and transported to a dry stack, or pumped in its wet state into a reservoir with a dam.
Transforming a liability into a resource
Physical hazards
Fine particles liquefy when saturated. Tailings act like quicksand under load.
Processing residues
Extraction chemicals — like cyanide — can remain in the waste.
Metal contamination
Heavy and radioactive elements can leach into soil and water.
Residual metals
Legacy tailings often hold higher metal grades than modern mines discard.
Coarse material
Coarser sediments can be recovered for construction reuse.
Water
Reprocessing can recover 60–85% of water from old facilities.
Physical hazards
Fine particles liquefy when saturated. Tailings act like quicksand under load.
Residual metals
Legacy tailings often hold higher metal grades than modern mines discard.
Processing residues
Extraction chemicals — like cyanide — can remain in the waste.
Coarse material
Coarser sediments can be recovered for construction reuse.
Metal contamination
Heavy and radioactive elements can leach into soil and water.
Water
Reprocessing can recover 60–85% of water from old facilities.
Concept Development
How might we create an autonomous solution for mine waste, turning the liability of tailings into resource?
Three distinct architectural directions were explored before converging on the modular ecosystem — from distributed swarms to mobile fabrication to centralized towers.
Remote dashboard
Supervise the fleet from a single digital command center
Operators monitor live telemetry, digital twin data, and mission status from a centralized interface—keeping people off hazardous tailings terrain while maintaining full situational awareness.
Tailion HUB
Tailion HUB is shipped
Using standardized containers to make it cost effective, convenient and predictable.
Module loading
Modules install on top of the vehicle
A dedicated loading bracket guides each module into place on the vehicle, aligning the interface and securing the stack for on-site deployment.
Mobility
Tailion drives to the tailings beach
Archimedes screw propulsion lets Tailion cross cracked, unstable tailings while healing the terrain on the spot—working across the full range of beach conditions.
≈2100kg
Optimal total vehicle weight supported:
≈4222kg
Absolute maximum displacement
Surface monitoring
The superficial scan module is the first module deployed
LiDAR on this unit starts digital twin formation at the surface—monitoring tailings conditions before deeper analysis, with sensors shared across the fleet for cost-effective coverage.
In-depth analysis
Cone Penetration Test module probes below the surface
After surface monitoring, the CPT module drives a cone into the tailings to measure strength and layering in situ—feeding geotechnical data into the digital twin for safer, evidence-based decisions.
Tailings re-mining
The valorization module extracts residual minerals from tailings
Once geotechnical analysis confirms safe conditions, the re-mining module deploys a cutting head and articulated arm to recover strategic minerals still locked in the waste—turning a liability into a secondary resource stream.
Safety and maintenance
Designed for safe interaction and long operational lifecycles
Pulsating status lights communicate system state at a distance, while ergonomic access points and clear cleaning zones keep modules serviceable in harsh tailings environments—reducing downtime without compromising operator safety.
